Alone I Break
by evenflo78
Summary: Sookie Stackhouse has always been different. She accepts this and lives with it. But when nightmares begin to haunt her sleep, and vampires begin stalking her nights, she wonders if her ability is more of a curse than a gift. AU and OOC. Dark'ish.
1. Intro

**A/N: I am beginning to think I'm allergic to having less than 3 ongoing stories at one time. Either that, or I have some strange need to bite off more than I can chew. Whatever the case may be, here is yet another story from my overactive imagination.**

**Many huge thanks and hugs to EtheHunter. She is my fanfic soul mate, for real. Love her dearly.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns them, I just play with the world she created.**

**Intro**

I used to have this recurring dream, and it wasn't until I started having it again that I remembered I'd even dreamt it to begin with. As a child, the dream often haunted me on a nightly basis, and I'd always awake the same.

Screaming.

It has always started the same, innocuous enough. I'm standing in an open field. The ground beneath my feet is solid but dry. Barren. No life, no grass, no trees. It's the same as far as my eyes can see. No matter how hard I try though, I can never see where I'd come from. The path that lay behind me, bringing me to that place, is not visible. I look to my left and to my right, and the scenery remains the same.

Dead earth for miles and miles.

My arms are extended from my sides, stretching far as they dare. Pulled. I feel the fingers grasping them, hands around my wrist and elbows, tugging. To one side and then the other. My legs are spread in a similar fashion, helping to keep me balanced.

The wind kicks up, coming in from behind me and whipping my hair up and around my face. It blinds me instantly, and the temperature changes just as swiftly, as if taking advantage of my momentary weakness. The breath freezes in my lungs, and I gasp.

When my hair clears and the wind settles, I'm disoriented for a flicker of time, not quite understanding what has become of me. I breathe freely, the air coming out in puffs of white against the cold climate.

On my left side, nothing but darkness remains. Cold and dark, a fathomless pit envelops me, and I can see nothing past my shoulder. It is only blackness. On my right, is the opposite. Blinding in its warmth and light, the sun covers my hand and leg, my hip and shoulder, in pure white. I have disappeared between the two.

Dark and light. Night and day. One on my left, the other, my right. My muscles stiffen and I feel the earth, solid. It supports me, secures and grounds me. Those same hands are on either side of me, holding me, tethering me to the earth. I'm calmed by their presence.

I look up and up, tilting my chin toward the sky. It is blue and cloudless and yet there is no sun. I smile sadly, knowing that is not where my future lay, but not how I know this. I frown. I tremble, frightened for a moment before the hands that hold me caress my arms.

My light. My dark.

Those hands, so firm and sure and steady, that is where my future lay. I know this and have accepted it. I tremble again, and realize it is not I that shakes, but the ground, the soil beneath my feet.

As I lower my gaze, the tremors turn violent, dust and dirt erupting in a cloud around me. I watch helpless as the ground crumbles and the earth below me disappears into a crevice deeper than eternity. Nothing, nothing, nothing; an infinite fall is what awaits below. I scream builds in my throat, not quite escaping.

My tethers, the sun and the night, tighten their hold on me and they tug fiercely. It is time for me to choose. One way or the other, I must decide, whether it be light or dark, I am out of time. It seems my entire life has prepared me for this moment. This crossroads, and yet I still struggle to decide.

The dark is frightening, cold and so very dark; I'm afraid I couldn't handle it forever. Will I freeze? Will I even be able to breathe? The light is just as scary. What if it is too warm? What if it is so bright I cannot see? I struggle, panicking, because I know I must pick.

My hands, my lifelines, they hold me and pull; they will not let me go, but I must choose one or the other, or I know I will fall. Fall, fall and fall, for the rest of forever. They each strain and jerk, urging me to choose them. Light. Dark. Day. Night. I love them both. How do I decide?

The wind picks up again, stirring the earth into a cloud. The sound of it drowns my light whimpers as I battle to decide my fate, my future. Light or Dark? My face is wet with tears as my soul weeps.

As the sound of the wind howls, the volume and shriek of it piercing my ears to the point of pain, it moves ever closer to whisk me away. I cannot allow myself to be blown away into the nothing. Into my death.

Those hands, _my_ hands, loosen on my arms and I slip. I cling tightly, desperately. I feel my nails cracking under the pressure. I will not fall though, and yet I will not choose one or the other. When the wind reaches my skin, prickling my flesh with goosebumps like tiny needles, I slip again. I plead.

Barely clinging to the safety of my guardians hands, I look left into the dark and right into the light. They both call to me, I love them both. They are both mine. Should both be mine. Stubbornly, I decide I should not have to choose. I will not.

I am let go.

I fall.

I scream.

The sensation of falling awakens me. I am sweating and panting, and my heart beats like a wild horse racing behind my ribs. I struggle to remember my dream, but never can. I only know that I waited too long, that my chance had been lost. For what, I'm not sure, but I am scared all the way down into my very marrow.

My throat hurts from screaming, aches and scratches, raw from the ferocity in which I had let it out.

At one time in my life it had been my parents that came running, checking on me, settling me down and hushing my cries with gentle strokes and soothing words. But not too far into my childhood those comforting caresses and hushed whispers started coming from my Gran.

Eventually the dream had ceased, so with it, the need for coddling a scared youngster. Well into my twenties when it returns to me, I no longer had the arms of my family, the kindness of a loved one, to settle my shattered nerves.

When it awakens me again, anew and back with a vengeance, I cry. Alone.

**A/N: Yeah, alright, so there you have it. This will be a little darker if you can't tell. But I'm really excited about this one. I hope that you will share this journey with me and enjoy.**

**Thanks for reading. I do hope you'll take the time to leave me your thoughts by pressing the button below.**

**KISSES!**


	2. Crickets Heard Round the World

**A/N: Thanks so much for the wonderful response to the prologue. I know it was pretty short, and a little vague on many things, but I'm so glad to have captured your interest. Hopefully this chapter will help you figure out a few things. Not much, granted, but something. **

**Thanks to EtheHunter for all her help, kind words, and editing that make this something worth reading. **

**Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, even pieces of the plot belong to someone else, but I'm twisting and corrupting it for my own pleasure. Wicked laugh**

**Chapter 1**

Crickets make an assortment of chirping sounds.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not the sound of its legs rubbing together that make this beautiful sound. Actually, crickets have large veins that run along the insides of their wings. The sound emitted is caused from the tiny teeth, or serrations, being rubbed against each other. Their wings amplify and carry the sound farther and louder.

Oddly enough, it's only the male cricket that makes this beautiful music with its magical wings, and there are even different 'songs' one might play depending on the situation and environment they're in.

One song is used to attract females and repel other males, and it's one of the loudest of them all. This is called, appropriately, the calling song. An aggressive song is triggered by receptors on the antennae that detect a near presence of another male. The courting song is the one a male plays when a female is near. It's a sweet and low lullaby, seducing and wooing the female. And the song one plays briefly after a successful mating is called the copulatory song.

There are probably more technical terms for these songs, but even if I had read them, I doubt I would have remembered to even tell someone.

I remember thinking that night maybe, just maybe, they'd chosen this specific night for a reason.

It was a pretty balmy night in June, not quite stifling, but hot nonetheless. Perhaps, being the first day of summer, and thusly the shortest night of the year, had been their one and only reason for choosing that night to make their big reveal.

I liked to think they'd gone so far as to plan for the crickets as well, but that's just me.

Merlotte's was busy, really busy for a weeknight, and I'd been slammed all night long. There was no huge event on the TV, but something had brought just about everyone in Bon Temps, and a few surrounding towns, into the local bar and grill that night.

Jane Bodehouse looked like a kid in a candy store. She was truly in heaven. Having had at least six (or sixteen) of her preferred whisky sours, and an assortment of men – some known, some strangers – for her voracious, and often inappropriate and unwelcome, flirting, she was in her element.

No doubt her son would end up having to come pick her up and take her home – alone – after last call, but at least for the time being, she was happy as a lark.

Tara was filling in for Dawn behind the bar, even though she had a full-timer at a retail shop she owned in town. I was sure I'd caught her cussing out at least three different customers – sometimes it was hard to differentiate her thoughts from her actual words – who'd gotten a little mouthy with her. She didn't have one of those brain/mouth filters, which was part of her charm, but I often wondered how in the world she made it in customer service at all.

Sam was being Sam; back and forth, keeping things stocked and visiting with the patrons, making like a good owner and being friendly and hospitable. He was a good boss, the kind that wasn't afraid to sweat and get in there, hands on, when his staff was up to their necks in dirty dishes and empty beer bottles. He was also really good about intervening when a drunken customer got a little handsy with one of his girls.

I had to appreciate the irony in that. Our uniforms compared to Hooters, tiny shorts with tight, white T-shirts, accentuating his female staffs' physical assets. But Sam was all about the 'looking but no touching' rule.

Arlene was working with me, waiting tables; and Lafayette and Terry were in the kitchen. We'd just hit a slow spot, where most everyone in the restaurant was either eating or finishing up their third or forth round of drinks when the TV sounded over the booming crowd.

I wasn't sure who had turned it up since we mostly kept the volume low during business hours. When I looked at Tara, she just shrugged. The remote was back there with her, so if she hadn't done it, I wasn't sure who had. It was like the volume had turned itself up all of a sudden.

My ability didn't help a single bit that night. I couldn't pick out one person's thoughts from my own in the chaos that quickly erupted. It was a giant mental buzz of activity when the news woman took to the screen and began talking. Nothing but her words made sense, and even those were hard to comprehend.

"_Vampire."_

All it took was that one word, and every ear was attuned to the television. Curiosity piqued. Attention was stolen, ripped away from anything and everything else that had been going on. Chairs squeaked as people turned to get a better view, to try and make sense of what they were hearing.

Maybe it wasn't so much that her words didn't make sense, but the fact that I'd been taught one way to think my whole life, and I had problems getting my head out of that box, so to speak. There was no way she was talking about fictional creatures being real. I wasn't the only person that had issues wrapping my head around the idea.

"_With the advent of synthetic blood,_" she was saying, and we were all listening.

And I do mean all. Not a single eye was on anything other than that TV screen. Ears and bodies were attuned to it too, all turned in that general direction. It was better than old school reality TV. By my assumptions, I figured there wasn't a television in the world that wasn't watching the very same thing. Maybe they'd controlled the broadcasting in some way?

"_There is no need to live in secrecy anymore. With this new invention, we don't need to hide our existence from anyone. Your safety is guaranteed by it. Side by side, we can be among you, live next door to you, work with you, together._"

Collective gasps and muttered words rang out in the restaurant.

"Can you believe this?" Sam asked, approaching me at my perch by the drink station. I shook my head, too shocked to speak. My hand was still covering my throat as I gaped. "Vampires, hmph," Sam chuckled and walked away.

The news lady was saying _we_, as in, _she_ was among this group. She had included herself in this announcement. I'd watched her on the news through most of my adult life on the television, and she...she was a... I could hardly make myself think the word, much less say it. You'd know her if you saw her, and she wasn't human.

She was a vampire.

It was...unbelievable. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. And according to the scrambling minds of everyone around me, they couldn't either. What would the world come to next?

You'd think, being telepathic would have at least prepared me some for the fact there were other inexplicable things, beings, people, that existed out in the world, but it hadn't. I felt I _should_ have known. I should have noticed them. I was as dumbstruck as every Tom, Dick, and Harriet that populated the earth.

It didn't take long for people's thoughts to start pounding into my head like a thousand hammers either. I'd done my best to block it for as long as I could. But as the realization seeped in through the crowded restaurant that the well-known news woman was indeed classifying herself among the other – among the vampires – I couldn't keep up the measly mental shields I'd perfected over the years.

Tara's mind was a jumble of curses. Her English mixed with French, some of it coherent, most of it loud and angry, all of it was frightened. I couldn't blame her. I was pretty scared myself. Most everyone else was in mental agreement, no matter the color of the language.

They'd existed among us in secret for who knew how long. Forever? The fact that they'd just now created a synthetic blood capable of nourishing them didn't erase the worry of what they'd done before it existed. And it definitely didn't get rid of the suspicion and fear that not all of them would be so willing to drink the fake stuff when they'd been drinking the real thing for so long.

I didn't believe they all would for a second.

It was like drinking a diet soda, I would assume. Sure, you'd get the burn and the tickle of the bubbles deep in your throat, but the feeling was at least somewhat empty. You'd still be missing the sugar, the good stuff. I doubted fake blood compared to drinking it straight from the tap, so to speak.

"You hearing this shit, Sook?" Tara asked, startling me out of my thoughts. "You alright?" I felt her hand land in a comforting squeeze on my shoulder.

I waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah. Just loud in here, you know?" I tapped my temple, and she offered a small smile before walking away.

She knew about the mind reading, and, for the most part, it didn't bother her. But we didn't exactly talk about it either. Tara was just a few steps above thinking I was mentally ill most of the time. I loved her because she didn't just think that, she told me. I had to respect, and love, her honesty.

"_In fact, odds are every one of you have met one of us at one time or another,_" the news caster continued. "_We've lived in secret for a long time and have learned to blend in with you. I am a shining example of this._"

_Yeah, no shit,_ I thought wryly.

Eyes and ears were still honed in on the television as the woman carried on. I was doing my best to drown out the unspoken worries and fears of the Merlotte's staff and patrons, but my best simply wasn't good enough. I was hoping with every word, she was nearing the end of her speech, and maybe people would start going on to their homes and worrying about it there, as selfish as that may have been. But it was damn loud, and I needed time to process my own thoughts, without the interference of others' trickling in my head.

"_Look around you. Our numbers are many. One of the people siting next to you now could be a vampire,_" she challenged. "_The woman behind you at the movie store. The sales clerk at your local department store. Chances are, we are mingling with you now._"

As the telecasters words drifted off, eyes around the restaurant started to move. They roamed aimlessly, accusingly, searching for the one among us that was different. Not a one person's eyes settled on the woman my own had.

Whether I had tried to or not, I had undoubtedly picked her out of the crowd that night. It may have been subconscious, or maybe some part of me had been aware I'd done it, but my eyes found her and stayed there, studying and assessing. Curious, mostly.

She blended perfectly with the bar crowd, sitting atop a bar stool with a bottle of beer resting in front of her. No doubt she hadn't drunk a sip of the thing, but was using it as more of a prop. Her clothes were unassuming, a pink jumpsuit with a pair of silver and pink tennis shoes on her feet. I wondered if "Juicy" was stamped on her ass.

Blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes highlighted her perfect features, making her pleasing to the eye, but not overly beautiful. She smiled and looked about the crowd, acting out as everyone else, as if searching for the huge pink elephant in the room.

Her game was top notch, and I couldn't help but smile. She both acted and looked like a human, but I knew she was other.

As if she felt my eyes on her, she turned to look at me, a smile curling at her full lips. I grinned back nervously, full teeth and gums shining. She knew I knew, but it was obvious in her eyes she wasn't sure how. Her head tilted in curiosity and I looked away, a little frightened.

It's strange when I think about it now. Had I known what to look for, been aware of the signs, I most likely would have realized them for what they were much sooner than planned. Of course, it possibly would have brought me into more danger, but I'd always been a magnet for that. Or maybe someone would have locked me up in a padded room with a funny jacket and lots of drugs that made me drool?

It was easy once I knew how to spot them, but not only because their mind was silent to me. Maybe that was the most appealing part of it. For, truth be told, I know I'd run across a few people whose thoughts were unreadable, and I simply suspected they weren't thinking anything. The silence was something that was both rare and cherished.

If I focused on her mind – that one lone vampire in the crowded bar that night – it made drowning out the other thoughts that much easier. They were never silent, but a nice humming background noise was a lot easier to handle than a rowdy crowd at a football game.

While the silence was the most appealing thing, it was the slight difference in their skin that was the most obvious. A barely discernible luminescence that seemed to come from just beneath their skin was the most noticeable difference between humans and vampires to me. It was a beautiful, if frightening, glow about them.

I didn't learn until later – possibly too late – that I was one of very few that could see that. But it was there, and it lit her skin up just enough to make her a little brighter than the woman sitting next to her.

I waited for a moment, watching her warily from the corner of my eye as the news woman finished her speech. I wasn't sure what I was expecting her to do, but I knew something was coming. Gut instinct, or maybe it was common sense, told me she was going to make everyone in the building aware of what exactly she was.

I think I almost feared for her safety, at one point. She was only one, even if fiction books portrayed a truth about vampires. Maybe she was stronger and faster, and, possibly her ability to heal far surpassed a mere humans. It was a busy night, and she was severely outnumbered. I wasn't sure, if it were even true, that would help her if things went down the toilet.

I was still watching her when the news was over and the TV was turned off. As patrons began chatting amongst themselves, I kept my eyes and ears focused in her general direction. Even if she wasn't directly in my line of sight, I was making it a point to be aware of what she was doing. I was attuned to her as much as I could be.

I'd been expecting chaos, blinding and erupting chaos. I was physically prepared for a fight, to have to pull and tear people away from each other, maybe even to call the cops. But I never got what I was expecting that night.

She stood, and I watched in slow motion as she made it obvious to me what she was about to do. Her eyes caught mine, and she winked before turning to address the crowd.

"Hello humans," she said above the din of voices.

All heads turned her way, a few dishes, bottles, and silverware clanked together as they were forgotten, dropped. The woman smiled, her lips spreading into a grin so wide they exposed her teeth. Two bright, white fangs flashed, protruding past all the others. Sharp and deadly.

Thoughts scattered, as if a breeze had rushed through everyone's mind, and then disappeared all together. I thought crickets had never sounded more beautiful. Or more frightening.

All I could hear were the crickets outside. For the first time in my life, minds were silent. I was too afraid to breathe, much less appreciate it.

For weeks it was all anyone could talk about. _Vampires were real!_ Some people were frightened, and rightfully so, I thought. Others were enamored. Some people talked of moving, maybe to Europe, or somewhere else far, far away.

I didn't have the heart to tell them it wouldn't do any good. If vampires were here, in Bon Temps, Louisiana – which was about as backwoods as one could get – then they were everywhere. Mountains, desserts, ocean, swamps, I didn't think it mattered. They'd be there, a heavily populated area or not.

I understood fear, could relate to it, but I knew running away was not the answer. Many folks – long time natives of our quiet, remote town – moved away, taking their families and the bare minimum of essentials with them.

The people enamored with the vampires were the ones that worried me the most, I think. Vampire bars sprouted up, seemingly out of nowhere. Some of them though, had been opened for years, under the guise of goth or bondage spots. They'd been run by vampires pretending to be human for a long while.

Girls wanted to be bitten. Men wanted to be bitten. Teenagers went crazy, in hopes they'd find their one true love hidden amongst the mysterious and dark dwelling undead. Most wanted to be chosen, to work their way into the crowd with the intentions of being turned into one of the bloodsuckers.

Vampires were either adored and worshipped. Or they were hunted and drained, staked or captured in silver. V – vampire blood – was the new drug. Being bitten? All the new rage. Being made? Well that was like a fairytale.

People either ran to them in squealing flocks of complete and utter devotion, or ran away from them, screaming in fear for their lives.

I stayed, continued to work and do things as I normally did. There wasn't much else one could do as far as I was concerned. Moving away wouldn't make a vampire cease to exist, just like calling me 'crazy Sookie' hadn't made me stop hearing other people's thoughts.

I suppose, in a way, I could relate to being an outsider. Having my every action and word questioned, looked upon with fear and pity in suspicious eyes, was something I'd dealt with my whole life. I understood being judged by the lack of understanding or knowledge.

It was different, though. I heard thoughts, people's innermost secrets and fears. Things they told no one, things they hated about themselves or others. Things that could make a person sick to their stomach. Things that could make even the hardest of hearts weep. But my ability had never killed anyone.

_I _didn't need to drink blood to survive.

And yet, sometimes, I wondered which was worse.

**A/N: Chews off fingernails as I await your reaction Seriously. I'm anxious to know what you think so far. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm looking forward to finishing up the next chapter as well. **

**Press the button below to drop a line. Good, bad, ugly, I'm a big girl. I do love the love, but I wouldn't hold it against you if you hated it. Thanks for reading.**

**KISSES!**


	3. I Know Something You Don't

**A/N: I love each and every comment you all left for me. Thanks so much for taking the time to read. I do hope the journey is worth it. I've had a few questions, but I can't really answer any of them just yet. Things will be revealed as we progress. Trust me. **

**Special thanks to EtheHunter for allowing me to borrow her fresh eyes. She's so much more than a beta to me. She's a friend.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine and her peeps make the money, not I.**

**Previously...**

_Vampires were either adored and worshipped. Or they were hunted and drained, staked or captured in silver. V – vampire blood – was the new drug. Being bitten? All the new rage. Being made? Well that was like a fairytale. _

_People either ran to them in squealing flocks of complete and utter devotion, or ran away from them, screaming in fear for their lives._

_I stayed, continued to work and do things as I normally did. There wasn't much else one could do as far as I was concerned. Moving away wouldn't make a vampire cease to exist, just like calling me 'crazy Sookie' hadn't made me stop hearing other people's thoughts. _

_I suppose, in a way, I could relate to being an outsider. Having my every action and word questioned, looked upon with fear and pity in suspicious eyes, was something I'd dealt with my whole life. I understood being judged by the lack of understanding or knowledge. _

_It was different, though. I heard thoughts, people's innermost secrets and fears. Things they told no one, things they hated about themselves or others. Things that could make a person sick to their stomach. Things that could make even the hardest of hearts weep. But my ability had never killed anyone._

_I didn't need to drink blood to survive._

_And yet, sometimes, I wondered which was worse._

**Chapter 2**

**Alone I Break**

Some days my house just seemed vacant.

I'd awake, walk through the house, room by room. Rooms full of furniture, family pictures, full of memories, both good and bad, and the entire house would feel so empty. So huge and barren.

It was always the worst when I'd wake up after the hellish nightmares had returned. I'm not sure why, but I always missed my family on those mornings the most. The house seemed colder and a bit more lonely.

I had always been pretty independent, and had grown used to being somewhat of an outcast because of my ability. But I wasn't without a heart. And some mornings my soul ached for a family again.

Since I had the day off, it had been my every intention to sleep in. But when I awoke at seven AM with tears filling my eyes and a scream lodged in my throat, I knew it was useless to even try to return to sleep.

Instead, I got up and dressed in cut-off's and a tank, walked through my empty house and into the kitchen, where I grabbed a vitamin water out of the fridge and headed out towards the cemetery to visit my family.

Morbid? Probably, but I felt closer to them there than I ever did in the old farmhouse, despite the fact it had been in the Stackhouse family for nearly a century.

The sun was already warming up the morning air. Summers in Louisiana weren't ever really cool in the morning, but there was a slight break in the humidity somewhere between four and five AM. I'd missed it, but I loved the heat and the way the summer sun seemed to light every tree and moss covered stump with glowing life.

Ironic for a place we bury our dead.

I sat between my grandparents' graves' and my parents'. Jason was just on the other side of my mom, and I had my slot right next to him. Twenty-six years old and I already knew where I was going to be laid to rest.

The tears had dried on my eyes, leaving them slightly raw and crusted. I sniffled the last of them away and took a drink of my water. Blueberry-grape, my favorite. I sighed and leaned back on my elbows, picking at the weeds around the headstone.

My collie friend walked up and sat beside me after only a few moments. "Hey, Dean," I greeted while giving his ears a scratch.

I'd never figured out where he came from, or if he even had an owner. He just seemed to appear at regular intervals, maybe eat a few scraps now and again, and then be on his merry way. I wasn't even sure that was his name since he wore no collar, but it was the first name that popped into my head at the time and it sort of stuck.

Dean didn't seem to mind.

We sat in silence for a while. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, since I didn't speak dog, but I knew I couldn't seem to tear my thoughts away from my family. It was going to be a long day.

I'd always tried to imagine what would have happened to them if they all hadn't been taken from their lives so early on. I tried to picture what they would have become, what kind of people they would be now. How happy we all could've been as a family.

Maybe it was selfish of me, and maybe it was depressing as hell, but I never wanted to forget them.

My parents and my brother had died when I was almost too young to remember. I'd wanted to spend the night with Gran, and basically had thrown a fit to get my parents to take me despite the heavy rain. The flash flood caught them, with my big brother in the backseat, crossing the bridge on the way back home.

Gran, who had buried our grandfather not quite a year before, found out about it around midnight that night. Whereas I, having been safely snuggled in my bed for the night, didn't find out about it until the following morning.

As much as I loved my parents, I think losing my brother had hurt me the most. I hadn't even gotten to know him. I couldn't understand why he had been killed too. In my six-year-old mind, it didn't make sense that a kid could die too. In my logic, only adults ever did.

Jason was a couple years older than me, or would have been if he were still alive. I like to imagine him growing up, what great friends we would have been. I knew he would have protected me from the bullies in school, because that's what big brothers did.

I also knew he would have been the quarterback for the football team, and probably voted most popular in high school. Maybe even most handsome. He wouldn't have had to deal with the same issues I did while going to school because he was just normal and carefree and a fun-loving free-spirit that everyone would love.

Or at least when I pictured his what-could-have-been future, he was. He would have grown up to be a cop. Or maybe a forest ranger since he'd grow up loving animals and want them to have a secure and safe environment. And he'd come over to fix busted pipes for me, or re-wire an electrical outlet when needed.

I'd cook him dinner at least once a week and tell him when his girlfriends were idiots that didn't deserve him. I was good for those sorts of things since I could read their true intentions straight from their brains.

Gran wouldn't have been killed by that thug trying to rob the gas station because Jason would have been there instead of me. Jason would have been stronger and known how to handle the stupid wanna-be gangster instead of crying and watching it happen before his very eyes, helplessly useless, like I had.

Things could have been so different. But they weren't and I had to live with that, in the best way I could figure out how, on a daily basis.

Dean licked my hand, breaking me from my thoughts, and trotted off into the woods without a backwards glance. Tina, the stray cat, peeked her head through the brush a few seconds later and I giggled.

Those two hated each other, like...well, like cats and dogs.

Tina didn't really like any one, man or animal, but she liked my tuna and came around for the occasional can or twelve. She walked past with her nose in the air and her tail swishing back and forth as if I weren't there. She was alone and proud of it, confident in her knowledge that nothing could bring her down.

Contrary to what one might think, I wasn't really one to dwell in the past, how things should have gone, or what I could have done differently to change them. But sometimes I couldn't seem to help it. I missed them so much, every day.

I traced the individual names on each grave absently, saying goodbye for the time being, before heading back to the house. Tina was waiting, as I suspected she would be, by the back door.

"I think I saw a mouse in the storage shed the other night," I told her. She ignored me, as usual.

After fetching her a can of tuna and a saucer of milk, I went in to catch up on my housework that had been piling up the last few days. I suppose one of the perks of living alone was that there was no one to tell you to do laundry more often, and not leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight, but there were times I wished I had that.

Determined to get myself out of the funk I was in and erase the nightmare from my memory, I turned the stereo on to my favorite rock station and cranked up the volume.

House work wasn't fun for anyone I knew, but listening to good music while doing it, made the chore a little more bearable. Midway through one of my favorite songs by Audioslave, I was feeling a hundred times better and singing along.

Often times I let things pile up during the week. Laundry especially, my least favorite of all housework. So, on my days, or usually day, off I spent time catching up and dusting, vacuuming, and all the other stuff I hadn't had time to do during the work week.

I finished up with most everything beside the final load of laundry, which was in the dryer, by mid afternoon. I was pretty hungry and fixed myself some tuna salad before Tina could eat the last of it. Keeping strange working hours also meant I kept odd eating hours.

It wasn't my plan to work in Merlotte's my entire life. I definitely didn't see myself as a career waitress. But I had to make money somehow, and for now at at least, that was my only option. Eventually, I'd get myself on a somewhat normal schedule.

After cleaning up my dishes from lunch and folding my last load of laundry, I sat on my freshly swept porch with a big glass of tea and my latest snag from the local library. Strange that I still read the occasional vampire fiction novel when the real thing was out in the open now, for all to see.

I dog-eared the page reluctantly in the middle of a steamy scene when the house phone started ringing. Dark had nearly settled over the sky, and I hated knowing that my first of two days this week off was almost over already.

I sighed as I picked up the phone. Tara's half shriek greeted me before I could say hello.

"_Promise me you won't freak out!"_

I laughed. "I can't promise that. You can't greet me like that without already expecting the exact response."

"_Yeah, I know,"_ she agreed but quickly continued. _"But I know you and you might hang up on me as soon as I start talking."_

"I won't hang up," I said warily.

"_Promise?"_ she hedged.

"Tara!"

"_Okay, okay. We're going out tonight."_

"Okay," I drawled out when she didn't elaborate.

"_I've heard all sorts of great things about this new club in Shreveport," _she finally continued in an excited voice. _"Lafayette is going with us. It's supposed to be the new spot in town. Well, as close to town as you could expect. No one would ever open a club here in bumfuck Bon Temps."_

She was rambling and I was annoyed already. "Point, Tara? Why would going out to a club freak me out?" Besides the obvious annoyance at going to a loud club with tons of impaired brains thinking along similar lines of dance, fuck, dance, fuck.

"_Ummm," _she said, suddenly sounding very nervous. It sucked that I couldn't just read her mind through the phone. Unfortunate for me at times like those. _"It's not your typical club. More like...a vampire club," _she whisper mumbled.

I hung up. What? I hadn't promised. Besides, she called right back, like I knew she would. "A vampire club? Tara, are you insane? That's like going out and paying for trouble!" I said when I picked up the phone.

"_I told you not to freak out. Besides, Lafayette is going. He'll make sure nothing bad happens to us."_

I snickered. "Oh yeah. How's he going to do that? Bedazzle the vampires to within an inch of their lives."

Tara barked out a laugh before recovering. _"Hey, that's my cousin you're talking about."_

"I know, and I love him dearly. But he's not exactly the first person I think of when contemplating a bodyguard."

"_True,"_ she agreed. _"But if nothing else, he'll squeal like a girl and alert everyone in the bar that something's going on."_

I snorted. "Why a vampire place, Tara? Don't get me wrong, I need a good night out. But I don't want to pay the price with my blood."

I wasn't completely naïve. I knew that vampires had come out in the open, supposedly "mainstreaming." But I didn't fool myself into thinking they never had a sip or two from the natural source. People practically begged for it. I was also fairly certain there were people out there that didn't beg for it, but it was taken regardless.

I didn't like to prejudge a person, or vampire for that matter, but it wasn't like I could keep from hearing that little voice in my head that told me they weren't all as well-behaved as they liked to pretend they were. Maybe some were, but not all.

"I don't even have anything to wear to a vampire club, Tara," I finally said, reluctant, but almost curious to meet another of the mysterious walking dead.

Tara squealed into the phone, forcing me to pull it away from my ear. _"I have the perfect dress. It's so perfect and it'll look great on you. I'll bring it by in about an hour and help you get ready."_

She hung up before I could argue. Probably in part to get back at me, but I could tell from the tone of her voice, it was also partially out of excitement. I laughed, excited in a way because she seemed so thrilled, and hung up the phone to run upstairs and bathe.

Tara arrived, looking for all the world like a supermodel. Her brown dress was skin tight and mini almost to the extreme. But what made it so unbelievably sexy was the sparkling thread that was sewn throughout and the fact that it matched her skin almost perfectly. Her hair was down and straight as a board, swishing seductively as her heels clicked on the floors.

She spent a little time helping me with my make-up and hair and then I went to get dressed. I worked, waiting tables in a bar, in what could be described as a glorified bathing suit. But even I felt a little underclothed in the tiny red dress Tara had brought over for me.

There really wasn't anything fancy about it, but it was at least ninety-nine percent spandex and only scarcely managed to escape being a shirt instead of a dress. I felt a little like a hooker, especially when Tara tried to get me into the matching five-inch heels.

Some things could be fought, and sadly I knew the wearing of this particular dress wasn't one of them, but I drew the line at the shoes. Tara reluctantly admitted that my much more reasonable black three-inch peep toes looked a little less pretty woman, albeit only minutely.

If I was going to be tugging at the hem of my dress all night long, I couldn't worry about staying balanced while I did it. The last thing I needed was to be sprawled over the floor shining my pretty black and white polka-dotted panties to a bunch of strangers.

We left after I'd properly ruffled my hair and picked Lafayette up on the way out of town. He looked flashy, as always, in a sheer black shirt and glittery painted jeans. I think he had on just about as much make-up as I did. If not more.

"What's up, bitches?" he greeted as he poured himself into the backseat. That man had more grace than I could ever hope for.

Tara and I both laughed, but she was the one to speak. "I only see one bitch in this car and it's got a few extra parts. If you know what I'm saying." She waggled her eyebrows at me and I snorted out a laugh.

"Hey, hookah, be glad you my cousin. 'Cause them's fightin' words. I ain't got no extra parts." He ran his hands down his chest and cupped his 'extra parts' for good measure. I laughed so hard I thought I'd cry.

The rest of the ride was spent in similar fashion. Tara harassing Lafayette, and him brushing it off with lots of flare and language that would make a sailor blush. Watching the two of them interacting was better than any reality show I'd seen on TV.

We pulled into the parking lot and I groaned, for multiple reasons. "The name of the vampire club is 'Fangtasia'?"

"Creative, ain't it?" Tara said with a smile.

"More like cheesy," I laughed. "And look at the line! We'll never get in."

It was completely wrapped around the front of the building and from where we'd found a place to park I couldn't see the end of it. I had no doubt though that it was well beyond the corner.

Tara frowned. "We'll get in. It just may be a little longer that we expected."

I whined. "Good thing I didn't wear those other shoes. Y'all would be carrying me before we even got to the front door."

They both laughed at my expense as we walked across the parking lot in search of the end of the line. We passed groups of three or four, and even one bachelorette party of about fifteen, all dressed in similar garb. Black, red, and chrome spikes seemed to be the theme, and I saw more than a few people dressed in what I thought was latex.

I couldn't be sure because I'd never seen it anywhere but on TV, but I didn't think anything else could mold to a persons body so perfectly. A few of those wearing the ridiculously uncomfortable looking stuff probably should have been wearing something closer to a muumuu. But who was I to judge?

Unlike in the movies or what you read in books, the bouncer at the front entrance didn't point us out of the super long crowd, dramatically allowing us entrance before every other paying person waiting so patiently in line.

By the time we made it around the corner of the building, I was seriously debating calling a cab and going home. And when we finally made it to the front of the line, I think I'd sweat most of my make-up off. It was stifling, and despite the teensy dress I was wearing, I was burning up.

We paid our dues, entering the crowded establishment at a little before midnight – past my bedtime, I might add – and I sighed in relief as the air conditioning cooled the sticky sheen covering my skin.

"Oh. My. God," Lafayette squealed. "I love this song." Tara laughed at the bouncing Lafayette as he tugged excitedly on her arm, trying to coerce her onto the dance floor.

"Go," I urged. "Go on. I'll see if I can find a table and snag us some drinks."

That was all the encouragement needed before they both took off into the crowd and I lost them amongst the sea of gyrating bodies.

I forced my way through the crowd and towards the bar area. While I was dodging elbows and frisky hands, I noticed that even with a cliched name like Fangtasia, the décor seemed to be anything but.

While I'd pretty much been expecting walls splattered with every Hollywood movie poster featuring Dracula or Interview With a Vampire, I'd been shocked to see tasteful art decorating the ultra shiny black walls. Well, mostly tasteful.

There really seemed to be no rhyme or reason to it, no particular theme. Art hung in sporadic places, ranged from an artist depiction of the sea, the sun rising over the horizon, and a large ship looming like a shadow in the distance, to the contour of a nude woman's back, her arms draped delicately over her shoulders, ending at the slight dip where the curve of her bottom would begin.

It seemed to be from all over the world, and the only thing that I could find each piece had in common with the next, was the fact that there was nothing in common.

Signs littered the walls. Some of them simply read: NO BITING, while others pictured a neck with two puncture wounds oozing blood with a large circle and slash across it. It was obvious that the owners wanted to convey they didn't allow biting in their establishment.

And while that gave me a modicum of comfort, it didn't dispel my wariness completely. No doubt they had a secret room, or some dungeon lurking for just that sort of thing. I swallowed hard and shook off those thoughts as I approached the bar.

There was only one person behind the counter, tending bar, but it didn't take me long to figure out how one person could handle a crowd like this. The man flashed out of sight, seeming to disappear before reappearing right in front of me, fangs flashing in a wide grin.

It took everything I had not to take off in a run, as it was, I did stumble back a step or two. I recovered quickly, pasting on a huge grin, matching his, sans fangs of course, hoping to hide that he'd unsettled me.

The crowd went wild, hooting and whooping at his display. Apparently that was the draw of this club specifically. The vampires didn't hide who or what they were. In fact, it seemed as if everything they did was for show, down to the very form fitting leather pants and frightening strappy contraption one might've called a shirt.

He raised an eyebrow at me expectantly, and I realized I was still standing there grinning like an idiot. "How may I be of service to you?" he asked, his voice a low rumble and very obviously accented. He looked to be of Asian descent, about my height, with dark hair and even darker eyes.

"Oh," I said a little awkwardly. "Umm, how 'bout a shot of tequila and two margarita's, extra salt?" The tequila was for me. I had a feeling I was going to need it. When the vampire disappeared again, returning about two seconds later, I knew I was right. "Make that two shots of tequila," I added and slammed the first one home.

I wasn't the one driving.

The bartender let out something resembling a laugh, but I guess it could very well have been a snarl for all I could make out in the noise. "Twenty-two even," he said when he returned.

I managed to fish out the money and hand it to him, tip included, without sputtering something about extortion. I worked at a bar and our prices weren't that high, but being a night club, they could get away with charging a little more. "Thanks," I grumbled as I reached for the drinks.

I was just about to turn around when I felt a presence behind me. I'd managed to do fairly well keeping up my mental shields considering the crowd, but it only took a moment for me to conclude a vampire had approached, and cornered me against the bar.

"Delicious," a female voiced purred, cool breath stirring the hair curled around my ear. How I managed not to shiver, I'll never know.

I turned, a cool reproach about corny vampire jokes on the tip of my tongue. It died as soon as I faced her. "You," we managed to say at the exact same moment.

I imagined the shock on my face mirrored hers exactly, but she was a little quicker on the recovery. She smiled, looking a little like the devil when her fangs peeked out beneath the curve of her lip.

I hadn't seen her since the night vampires had come out and she'd made a very dramatic display among the crowded Merlotte's, but my memory had captured her perfectly. The only difference was she seemed to be dressed the part of a seductive dominatrix rather than soccer mom extraordinaire.

She seemed to be waiting for me to say something, but I wasn't sure what. "Nice to see you again," I started, hoping she'd stop looking at me like I was dessert.

"My, my," she purred, running a fingernail down my bare arm. I did nothing to hide the shiver, which she seemed to find amusing. She dropped her hand to the side. "You clean up rather nicely."

"Thank you," I said, though it sounded more like a question. "You too," I added, being polite. "What are you doing here?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

She grinned widely. "I am owner of this fine establishment." She gave the dance floor a once over, a slight frown twitching her lips before she turned back to me. "Not accounting for the vermin making their way through my walls."

I wasn't really sure what she meant by vermin, but I knew it wasn't particularly a good thing. Was she calling all humans vermin? Or was it more specific than that? There was definitely more than one mind that I would have used the term "vermin" to describe, but that was beside the point.

"Oh," I replied, dumbly. "Did you come up with the name?" I asked, giggling.

"No," she said, not really understanding why I found it so funny, which only made me laugh a little harder. "That would be the other owner."

I nodded absently, as I tried to figure a way out of the conversation. Don't get me wrong, she seemed a nice enough vampire, but that in and of itself seemed a bit like saying a cayenne pepper was only mildly warm. I was a little wary of her. With good reason too, seeing as how every time she smiled I got an eye full of her huge fangs.

"What's your name, human?"

"Hmm?" I asked, not having heard her completely. Now I'd been distracted by something else, and was trying to figure out what I should do about it. If anything. Why, in all the chaos of minds surrounding me, I seemed to lock on to the ones causing trouble like a homing beacon in my brain, I'll never know. "Oh, sorry. Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse. And you are?"

I could hardly be upset by my lack of manners since she looked at my extended hand like it had cooties. Maybe vampires didn't shake hands? Whatever. I let it fall to my side.

"Pamela," she answered. "But I'll allow you to call me Pam," she said winking. "I even might let you scream it."

I snorted, still half distracted by what was going on in the hall towards the bathrooms. Self preservation and my desire to do the right thing warred withing me. _Damn it._ In my distraction, it took a moment for her words to register. "Wait, are you hitting on me?" I asked after I noticed the hint of innuendo.

She gave me a confused look. "No. I am trying to fuck you." She'd said it so deadpan, I felt badly when I laughed like a maniac.

Then I realized she was completely serious and blushed furiously. "I'm sorry, but I don't...you know...umm...do that?" _Oh hell, how awkward was that?_

"Fuck?" she asked, genuinely looking shocked and confused.

I shook my head. "No, not that. I just..." I trailed off, not really knowing how to finish because, well, I didn't do that either.

She seemed to understand. "Ah. You don't like women." I nodded, still mimicking the bright red color of my dress. "Well, maybe I can change your mind."

I shook my head, decision made. "No, probably not. Look, you gotta get out of here. I don't know how else to say this, but there's about to be a raid."

"What?" she said, suddenly looking even more frightening now that the smile had disappeared.

I just about swallowed my tongue. "There's an undercover in the back bathroom with one of your...employees. She's gonna..." What did you call it? Feeding? Shit. "She's gonna bite him and..."

That was all I was able to get out of my mouth, before I found myself in a hard grip, racing through the crowd at blinding speed. In the time it had taken me to gather enough breath in my lungs to produce a scream, I found myself outside and pinned against a brick wall with a hand on my throat.

So much for breathing.

"Who are you?" she snarled.

"Sookie," I choked as spots crawled through my vision. Well, maybe I'd made the wrong decision after all. So much for trying to do the right thing.

She squeezed tighter, if that were possible, miraculously managing to not break my neck. "A cop?"

I shook my head, not able to manage much else, and wanting to save the last bit of my breath for the scream I was about to release.

"What are you?"

She looked every bit the frightening vampire of fiction. Fangs long and threatening, pupils dilated enough to nearly swallow the iris, and expression fierce and deadly. I cringed back, laughing before I could stop myself. I was clearly psychotic.

Seeming baffled by my reaction, she loosened her hold enough for me to gather enough breath to speak. "Seeing as how you're about to kill me and all, I don't think it matters what I am. Fuck you!" I spat. "I was trying to help you, and this is what I get?"

She growled, her lip twisting above her lip in a snarl as she gripped me tighter. Black clouds swallowed the outer edges of my vision and I knew from experience I was seconds from passing out.

Out of fear or desperation, I don't know for sure which, I struck out with a foot, managing to catch Pamela off guard with a kick to the stomach and she let me fall. I crumpled to the ground, gulping in air in with coughs and wheezes.

"What are you?" she repeated.

Even in my oxygen deprived thinking I knew she wanted to know how I knew what I had, but I was reluctant to tell her. But in the end, I wanted to live. So my answer came with conviction, and a lot more power than I thought I had.

"I'm a telepath."

**A/N: Thanks to each and every one of you for being so patient. I'm doing my best to get caught up and hopefully things will settle down enough soon, making it possible for more regular updates.**

**Feel free to press the button below to leave a comment or two. I always love reading what you have to say and the theories you all have. Not to mention your love always brings a smile to my face. Thanks in advance.**

**MUAW!**


	4. I Buy My Stakes At Walmart

**A/N: Thank you so very much for being wonderful and patient and supportive. I loved each and every comment you guys left on the last chapter. I know I'm not responding, but I cherish each and every one.**

**Special thanks to EtheHunter for her fresh eyes and kind words. Her assistance and support mean the world to me. Super tight hugs to smittenskitten for pre-reading for me. She is amazing!**

**Disclaimer: I hate that I sound like a broken record. I mean, seriously, you guys know I don't own them, right? **

**Previously...**

"_What are you?" _

_She looked every bit the frightening vampire of fiction. Fangs long and threatening, pupils dilated enough to nearly swallow the iris, and expression fierce and deadly. I cringed back, laughing before I could stop myself. I was clearly psychotic._

_Seeming baffled by my reaction, she loosened her hold enough for me to gather enough breath to speak. "Seeing as how you're about to kill me and all, I don't think it matters what I am. Fuck you!" I spat. "I was trying to help you, and this is what I get?"_

_She growled, her lip twisting above her lip in a snarl as she gripped me tighter. Black clouds swallowed the outer rims of my vision and I knew from experience I was seconds from passing out. _

_Out of fear or desperation, I don't know for sure which, I struck out with a foot, managing to catch Pamela off guard with a kick to the stomach and she let me go. I crumpled to the ground, gulping in air in with coughs and wheezes. _

"_What are you?" she repeated._

_Even in my oxygen deprived thinking I knew she wanted to know how I knew what I had, but I was reluctant to tell her. But in the end, I wanted to live. So my answer came with conviction, and a lot more power than I thought I had._

"_I'm a telepath."_

**Alone I Break**

**Chapter 3**

I'm not sure how or why exactly, but I was able to get away with my life and all my veins intact. She did manage to keep my purse, since I'd somehow dropped it when she'd flown me through the crowd at neck-breaking speed. I suppose there was no way to know for certain, but I was pretty sure she'd have found it.

Pam had already known where I worked, so I knew she could come after me if she wanted to. But now she had my address, and that made me uncomfortable as hell.

Tara and Lafayette had come outside looking for me, and found me still reeling by the car. Thankfully they didn't ask too many questions when I explained I wasn't feeling well and wanted to go home. They were a little disappointed, but didn't take it out on me, since they clearly thought I looked ill.

"You look like shit," was all Tara said. Lafayette had agreed with a nod, his thoughts practically screaming the same.

Apparently, near death experiences could do that to a gal.

I was glad they didn't push for further information. I suppose I could have told them what had happened, but I figured the less they knew the better. If someone, or something, did come after me, I hoped they'd be safer if they were in the dark. I didn't want them getting hurt too, if I could help it.

Miraculously, I didn't have a scratch or bruise on me, though my neck was a bit stiff for a few days after the fact. I'd doubled my sessions with self-defense and martial arts, starting the next day, and that could have had something to do with the soreness, but I didn't think so.

Mostly, even though I doubted it would help, I hoped to be more prepared for something bad to happen. Vampires were strong and fast – I'd experienced that first hand. Whoo boy, had I – but maybe I could surprise them by not being a complete and utter helpless victim. I'd made that promise to myself when Gran died.

I couldn't afford to get any sort of security on my house, so I was hoping there was a bit of truth in the rumor that vampires couldn't come into your home without an invitation. It was one of the only things that helped me keep my sanity, though it didn't keep me from running to and from my car like an idiot on fire every time I had to go out at night.

Whatever. Better to be an idiot with a pulse.

By the time the third evening had come and gone without any night time visitors, my paranoia was subsiding a bit. Maybe it had a little to do with all the weapons I had hidden around the house. I'd spent as much as I could part with on silver chains, silver mace, and even a couple of wooden stakes – it's amazing what you can find at Walmart anymore – just to give myself a small sense of security.

"Let's just hope it stays like this," I said to Tina as she curled up on the end of my bed.

I had gotten off work early, come home and showered, and was in my favorite pink and white striped jammies. I had a double the next day, so I planned on doing myself a favor and going to bed before midnight. Not thinking I'd run into any issues while I slept, that's exactly what I did.

I awoke with a gasp, my neck and eyes twisting about the room as I searched for whatever could have startled me from my sleep. Nothing seemed out of place, and there were no monsters lurking in the shadows. The clock on my bedside table blinked as it switched over to three a.m. exactly.

My breathing slowed even though my pulse still hammered through my chest. I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. My skin crawled with the feeling, leaving the tiny hairs on my arms and neck standing on end.

I took a deep breath, holding it as I slid my feet to the floor. I'd lived in this house most of my life, so I knew the exact places I could step without making a sound. I crept through my room, hardly daring to inhale, certain I'd woken up for a reason.

It didn't take me more than a few minutes to figure out what it was. And even less time to figure out why it had taken me that long. After I'd settled my mind enough to think without freaking out, I mentally located the blank spot in the woods.

It seemed I was still aware enough to know there was a vampire outside my house, not fifty feet from the front door. There was no way I was going to chance a glance out the window.

Sure, it would answer all sorts of questions I had rattling around my brain. Who is it? Where are they exactly? What are they doing? But my curiosity was pushed aside by the desire to live. If I looked out that window, not only would I give my exact location away, but I'd alert whoever it was that I knew they were there. My instinct told me that would be a very stupid idea.

Instead, I huddled in a corner of my room where I could watch both the window and the door, with a stake in one hand, mace in the other, and the cordless phone between my feet. Aside from one other time, I'd never been more scared in my life.

Frightened that the vampires heightened senses would notice my heart rate, I tried to will it slower with deep, calming breaths. Eventually it worked, but I think it had more to do with the adrenaline passing out of my system than any meditation techniques.

My lurking visitor seemed content just standing outside of my home, completely still and silent, and freak me the heck out. He, or she for that matter, never moved to pace, or come closer to the house. They simply stood there and watched – which was creepy as hell in its own right.

When four o'clock passed, and then five, I started getting pissed, thinking I'd never be able to sleep again. But then without a sound or warning, the empty thoughts started drifting further and further away.

By that time I'd become so attuned to it I was able to follow it along its path through the woods, probably just beyond the cemetery, where it stopped again and then completely blanked out. Momentarily stunned by the lack of buzzing in my head, it took me a moment to realize that the vampire had most likely died for the day.

So weird.

The sun wasn't up yet, but I knew it would only be a matter of minutes. It was almost as if I could feel it in my bones. I'd been praying for it since I figured out I was being watched.

It was only then that I noticed the second buzzing of a brain in my mind. This one seemed somehow deeper, heavier, and a lot further away, almost as if it hovered beyond the woods and in the sky. I shook off the bizarre thought and braved the window, certain from that distance whoever it was wouldn't see me.

I'm not sure why I thought I'd see anything, and of course I didn't, but I searched hard all the same. Were they working together? Why? What did they want with me? How the hell was I supposed to protect myself if, not only one but, two vampires came after me?

The questions flew through my head, making it hard to concentrate or even figure out a defense. With a sinking feeling in my gut, I knelt at the window, my eyes still just beyond the edge of the trees past my driveway.

To anyone else, there would have been nothing out there, but I knew differently. I could feel it, could almost touch its mind with my own, though I didn't dare. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. But I did none of those things.

Instead, I watched the sky begin to lighten, the darkness slowly fading into gray and then a brighter purple. Whoever the vampire was out there didn't seem to be too concerned about the coming sun, and I silently prayed that maybe it would be too late to get safely away.

Though as soon as I'd had the thought, the gaping mind flew away at a speed I couldn't follow. It happened so fast, my head spun, as if my mind had been connected to the vampires. Feeling more than a little dizzy and completely exhausted, I turned, sitting on the floor with my head against the window sill. I banged my head against it.

I woke again, sun beaming in through the window, and my neck cranked at a sharp angle that made me groan when I tried to move it. Everything was so stiff as I crawled and then slowly stood. I'd thought I'd never sleep again, but I had, exactly as I'd collapsed against the window.

Yay me.

Ignoring the creaks and protests of my aching body, I checked the clock, cursing when I noticed I had thirty minutes to dressed and get to work. Thankfully I'd washed my uniform and had it ready. As soon as it was on and I had my hair tied back in a high pony-tail, I sped to work. Make-up was hastily applied, illegally I might add, while I was driving.

I parked in the back of Merlotte's with exactly one minute to spare, running smack dab into Sam as I rushed to clock in.

"What's your hurry this morning, Sook?" he asked with a grunt.

I felt out of breath, even though I'd just ran twenty feet or so from my car. It probably had something to do with staying up half the night and keeping track of my stalker. Or stalkers. I frowned. "Nothing. Sorry, just didn't want to be late."

He chuckled. "I'm not gonna fire you for being a minute or two late. But we do have a shipment of beer and blood out back, if you could help with that."

He frowned at the word "blood", and I couldn't help but to agree with his thoughts, which sounded something like "damn vampires." It pretty much mirrored how I felt about them at that point, despite the fact I'd promised to keep an open mind about them. Vampires stalking me changed my open mindedness a bit.

"Yeah, sure," I agreed before heading out back to carry in the order.

I got it all put away and was still able to finish the prep for opening before the first customer came in. Lafayette was working the morning shift and had already warned me about the gumbo being extra spicy since he was feeling "feisty" – his words, not mine.

"We've got that special gumbo you enjoyed so much last time," I informed Andy Bellefleur when I went to get his drink order.

He groaned happily and ordered two, one to eat then, and the other to-go for later. I placed his order and brought him back a sweet tea with extra lemon, just like he liked it.

"Busy morning?" I asked, noticing his worry.

"Nope," he lied. He was worried about a missing woman a few towns over, fearing whatever had happened to her would trickle over into Bon Temps and he'd actually have to do some detective work. "Don't you do none of that hocus pocus on me either, Ms. Stackhouse."

I snorted, used to Andy's paranoia and his prejudices. He hadn't liked me for years, not really anyway. Sure, it's probably not easy to accept when a thirteen year-old girl informs you your wife is sleeping with another man, especially when you go home early and walk in on the act.

Maybe he was a little grateful, if positively freaked, that I'd told him about it. But he also hated me a little for it, too.

"I hope they find the brunette from Monroe," I said with a grin and walked away. Andy muttered a few expletives at me, but I ignored him and went about my business.

Most of the day passed without a hitch, even if it was a little busy with just Dawn and me handling the lunch crowd. The tips made up for the fact I was the walking dead by the time three o'clock came around.

"Why don't you ask Sam for your break while it's slow?" Dawn suggested, coming to lean against the bar where I was resting. "I'm only working the morning shift. I can handle it for a bit."

"That sounds like a good idea," I agreed, hoping I wouldn't pass out as soon as I sat down.

"Good. Eat, you look like you're about to fall over," she said and went to check on one of her tables.

She was thinking about that vampire bar, Fangtasia, in Shreveport, and I almost warned her not to go hanging out there. But judging from her thoughts, she'd already been there several times. I frowned. Only I seemed to be having problems with unwanted vampire attention. Dawn clearly wanted it. I wasn't going to tell her how to live her life.

I found Sam in his office, trying to get payroll together for the next day. With everything else going on, I'd forgotten we got paid the next day. "Mind if I take my break now, Sam? Dawn's got the floor and it's real slow."

"Yeah, sure," he said distractedly. He was a bit worried about being able to cover the paychecks, but I didn't want to say anything and make him feel worse about it.

"Thanks. I'll be right out back if you need me."

"Hey, Sookie?" I paused in the doorway. "When you get back from break, you think you can watch the store for me? I need to run a few errands and get this deposit to the bank."

"Sure thing, Sam," I agreed with a smile.

It distracted him enough that Sam forgot his worries for a brief moment and smiled back. He was a little sweet on me, but wasn't sure how I'd react if he ever made a move. Just as well, since I'd have to turn him down. Don't get me wrong, Sam was a looker, with his shaggy hair, sparkling green eyes, and working man's body, but he was my boss and a good friend. I never was able to look at him as anything more than that.

I left after a nod of thanks from Sam, grabbing a big glass of lemonade and my basket of chicken fingers on the way out to the pic-nic table set up for employees around back.

There wasn't much of a breeze, so it was pretty warm as I sat and ate, but the sky was bright and clear. You never really knew with Louisiana summers though. Sometimes, even with a clear blue sky, you could end up with a cloudless rain that only seemed to make things more hot and humid. Most of the time, a surprise shower was a welcome relief from the heat.

I guess the exhaustion was finally catching up to me, because I somehow passed out for a little bit. I woke up with my head propped on my arm and a slick spot where I'd sweat on the table. A breeze stirred up and I sighed, welcoming its cooling brush as I checked my watch.

It hadn't been much of a nap, but fifteen minutes could do wonders. I grabbed my dishes and headed back inside since I only had a few minutes left anyway.

Dawn chuckled as I passed her in the hallway. "You've got a big red spot on your forehead, Sookie. You must be really tired if you can sleep in that hundred degree heat."

I rubbed my forehead, frowning a little at Dawn before I went to check my face in the restroom.

"Just great," I groaned as I looked at the bright red spot in the center of my head. "Lovely." There wasn't much I could do about it, but I splashed a little cold water on my face to cool off, hoping that would help it fade.

In the grand scheme of things, I supposed I'd much rather deal with red splotches on my face than vampires stalking me in the middle of the night. "Definitely," my reflection agreed. I dried my hands and went back to work.

It was a busy night. Busy enough to distract me from the clock, and my sleep-deprived and constantly aching body. An hour before closing, is when my night got dreadfully worse.

I was beginning to hate vampires.

Sitting in my section, of course, was Bon Temps only resident member of the undead. I'd never met him, but I'd heard about him, both mentally and through the natural chain of gossip.

Sam had met him apparently, because he was thinking all sorts of nasty words and shooting daggers in his direction. I thought I was probably doing the same thing with my own eyes.

I took a deep breath and straightened my uniform. As far as I knew, there wasn't anything wrong with the man...er, vampire, but then again, he'd only been in town for about a week now. That was hardly time enough to get to know someone, especially when it came to a bloodsucker.

But why, oh why, did he have to sit in _my_ section?

At least, I reasoned with myself, I knew he wouldn't be there for long. I mean, how much blood could one really drink?

I approached slowly, cautiously, and appraised him. He wasn't a bad looking man. Well, actually, he was rather good looking. But considering the few vampires I'd encountered were all beautiful, I figured it just came with the package.

Dark hair, dark eyes, and that unnaturally pale skin that glowed from just beneath, he was obviously a man that had labored with his hands and body as a human. He didn't look exceptionally strong, just...healthy and able, for lack of a better word.

So this was Bill Compton.

Something in my gut told me to be wary of him, despite his slow smile as I neared the booth in which he sat. "What can I get you tonight?" I asked, bubbly and smiley.

He appraised me for a long moment, but I knew he'd already done it. His eyes had been on me since I'd walked into the dining room. Maybe it was an intimidation tactic, or maybe it was something else entirely. I did a very good job of not fidgeting. Mostly. I tapped my pen on the pad, impatient.

His eyes raked up slowly, and I rolled my eyes when they paused seconds too long on my breasts. Men would be men, it seemed, even after they'd died. When his eyes finally reached mine, he gave me that slow smile again. The one meant to charm and seduce, and make ladies swoon.

Too bad I wasn't easily swayed.

There was a strange sensation behind my eyes, a slightly ticking hum. It felt intrusive and foreign so I shook it off, noticing absently as his eyes widened slightly. Weird.

"Do you have blood?"

I snickered, though it wasn't a joke. Because, yes, of course, I had blood. It was a bad joke on my end, so I didn't voice it aloud. I didn't think he was _really _asking for _my_ blood, but if I put it out there, he might take it as an invitation. Which there was never going to be. Clearly, I had issues.

Instead, I gave a slight nod. "We have AB negative and O positive." I rambled on, "I think the owner, Sam, ordered the other types, we just haven't got shipment in for those yet."

"O positive."

The fact that he'd chosen my blood type made me shiver a little, though I'm not sure exactly why. "Comin' right up," I answered, and took off.

"Oh my God, Sookie. Are you okay?" Arlene whisper-screamed as I made my way behind the bar. "That's a vampire, you know?" She visibly shuddered. "And he looked like he really wanted to eat you."

Had he? I hadn't really noticed, but after thinking about it, maybe what I'd suspected as one kind of "normal male hunger" was a completely different kind of hunger altogether.

I hummed in response to Arlene. "I hardly think he's going to do anything right here in front of everybody."

"Well, I suppose," she allowed. "But be careful. Sam," she barked and turned to him, "you'll keep an eye out, won't you?"

"Of course," he half growled. "You just say the word, chér."

"I'll be fine." I shook my head and grabbed the warm bottle of blood, trying not to turn my nose up at it. "Y'all are just being paranoid." Not that I didn't appreciate it, because I did. I was probably a little paranoid myself.

I walked away as Arlene went back to her tables. Sam stood guard behind the bar, the tension in his shoulders obvious. It kind of felt good to know I had back-up, even if it would be a losing battle.

"Enjoy," I said as I set the bottle on his table, along with the mug I'd brought just in case. "Let me know if you need anything else."

"What's your name?" he asked, just as I'd turned around.

I spun on my heels and pointed at my name tag. Duh! "Sookie," I said brightly. Maybe he was a stupid vampire? "Sookie Stackhouse."

"Sookie," he said experimentally. It sounded strange coming from his lips. Not unpleasant, but...different, slower. "I'm Bill Compton. I just moved in down the road from you."

Wait? What? "In the old Bellefleur place?" I stared at him, confused. Something tickled the back of my mind, but I was too tired to focus on what it was. "That place is a dump," I said, and immediately felt bad about it. I had a problem with not biting my tongue when I really should.

He half chuckled. "Ah, yes. I am working on remedying that."

"Oh," I blushed. "Good luck with that. And...Welcome to the neighborhood, I guess." This was kind of awkward. What did one say to a hundred plus year old vampire? If rumors were true, he'd fought in the Civil War. I wasn't going to cook him any banana bread to make him feel at home or anything.

He gave a deep nod. "Thank you. My presence has been quite welcomed."

That was good, I supposed. I smiled. "Well, I gotta get back to work." I didn't really. My other customers had just left, but there were still a few dishes left on the table. I was using that as an excuse to get out of the conversation.

"Perhaps I could have you over for dinner one evening?"

"No," I snorted out quickly. Was he serious? Oh my gosh, he was. His eyes were wide and expectant, as if I were a fool to deny him. I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at him. "Not gonna happen."

"Why not?" he asked, oblivious to what he'd just asked me.

"You most certainly cannot have me over for dinner," I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.

He looked confused for a second longer before the depth of his words settled in. "Ah, yes. I suppose my wording rather implied something much more untoward than what I'd intended."

What did he just say? Why'd he talk like that? So formal? It was weird. "Yeah, uh-huh. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but why would you invite a human over for dinner anyway? I mean, it's not like you eat...food."

"Perhaps I was simply being hospitable, neighborly, if you will," he answered slowly and then gazed up to look at me softly, a hint of that smile back in place. "Or perhaps I was just seeking the pleasure of your company?"

"I don't really date," I said in defense. "Vampires or human, honestly. So don't take it personally or anything. Thank you for asking," I finally allowed some hospitality in my voice, instead of just the hostility. "But I won't be having dinner with you."

"Maybe, after we get to know one another, you will change your mind?" he suggested, as if we'd be spending time together.

I wanted to say something like "don't get your hopes up" or "not likely" but instead, I allowed him some hope. Call it the waitress in me, I suppose. A gal had to make money. "Maybe. Enjoy your blood," I said and left him to it.

He left about an hour later, but not after creeping me out. Always with those eyes, following my every move, watching and observing. Calculating and measuring, I wasn't sure why, exactly, his observance of me had unsettled me so – I mean, I'm a pretty enough young woman with a nice figure, no stranger to the stare of a man. But this was something entirely different. It was like he was trying to figure me out, and I didn't like it one bit.

I'd already stocked and cleaned my station, so his was the last table I had to do before I could go home. Of course, he had to be my last patron of the night. But when Mr. Compton so graciously left me a twenty dollar tip, I could hardly find the will to complain. Aloud, at least.

"Night, Sam," I called over my shoulder before walking out the front. I heard his answering goodbye absently as I made my way to the car. I hoped I made it there. I was so damn tired I couldn't see straight.

_Cheese and rice, you have got to be kidding me? Of all the nights!_

"What the heck do you want?"

**A/N: snickers Am I evil? Oh gosh, please don't hate me. I know you guys wait for SO long for an update, and then I do something like this to you, but gah! I just couldn't help it. Chapter was nearly at 5k words already, I had to stop it somewhere. **

**I do love you though. Always love you! Drop me a line. Your words and reviews are love!**

**KISSES!**


	5. You Will Meet A Tall, Creepy Stalker

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read and review. I'm trying to get back to regular updates if you can't tell. Thanks so much for being patient with me.**

**Special thanks to: EtheHunter for betaing and smittenskitten for pre-reading. They're awesome. So very awesome and I cannot thank them enough.**

**Disclaimer: Any money made of these characters has never made it to my pocket. Never will since I don't own them.**

**Previously...**

_I'd already stocked and cleaned my station, so his was the last table I had to do before I could go home. Of course, he had to be my last patron of the night. But when Mr. Compton so graciously left me a twenty dollar tip, I could hardly find the will to complain. Aloud, at least. _

"_Night, Sam," I called over my shoulder before walking out the front. I heard his answering goodbye absently as I made my way to the car. I hoped I made it there. I was dead on my feet._

_Cheese and rice, you have got to be kidding me? Of all the nights!_

"_What the heck do you want?"_

**SPOV**

In retrospect, it probably wasn't the brightest thing to say to a vampire. Especially one I'd never met. But, as I've said before – and will no doubt say again – I had serious glitches in my brain to mouth filter. Or mouth to brain filter. Whichever way it was supposed to work. Point is, mine was broken.

"Who are you, anyway?" I carried on, as if he couldn't just take one step and remove my jugular. I stepped forward, trying to get a better look at him and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Sookie Stackhouse, I presume?"

"Well, that's _my_ name, but I'm guessing you already knew that, since you're sitting on my car and all." Not that I was all that worried about him scratching the paint. Hell, some of the already chipped paint was probably stuck to his designer jeans. "But I know who_ I_ am. What I don't know is who _you_ are. Or what you want."

Yeah, I totally needed to seek treatment for my issues. Any second, I was going to be six feet under. Death by fang. Woo hoo. All over my big mouth.

"My apologies," Strange Vampire said, while sounding anything but apologetic. "Eric Northman. I believe you forgot something when you last visited my establishment," he continued and held out my purse.

"My bag!" I exclaimed and shot forward. But now that I knew who he was, or at least where he was from, I was suddenly wary and stopped in my tracks. My survival instincts worked better than my mouth filter. Maybe. Probably not.

The vampire stood up and took a step forward. It was a big step. My gosh, he was tall. And then he was in my personal space. I made a valiant effort not to step back, but failed miserably. I snatched my purse from his extended hand first, searching through it immediately.

"I assure you, your effects are all accounted for."

"Thank you, Mr. Northman," I said finally, though it kind of sounded weird. Motor mouth struck again. "Took you long enough to bring it back. Now, if you'd be so kind and mosey on along, I'd like to get back home." I made a walking gesture with two of my fingers. In case he didn't get it, you know.

"You're a sweet one, aren't you?" Eric asked as he made his ass comfortable on the hood of my car again. I sighed and rolled my eyes, watching as he crossed his arms over his chest, then his legs at the ankles.

"Sarcastic vampire? Funny." I knew I wasn't being anywhere close to sweet.

"I was talking about how you smelled," he said easily.

I think my heart got stuck somewhere in the vicinity of my throat. "Oh. Umm. Uh," I stammered, suddenly incapable of speaking the English language. I took three retreating steps, wishing I could take three thousand more in the next six seconds.

Eric was staring at me, amusement glittered his eyes and lifted the corners of his mouth. Oh, he was mocking me. _Asshole._

"Kidding," he said as soon as he noticed I'd figured him out.

"HA HA HA. You're a comedian," I snapped, frightened and annoyed and tired all at the same time. Wait. So, did that mean I stunk? Whatever. I didn't care. "I hope I smell like skunk piss. Look, I'd love to do the chat, get-to-know-each-other thing" – _NOT –_ "but I'm exhausted and really want to get home."

"Skunk piss?" he questioned. Oh, oops, I'd said that out loud. I shrugged, not going to explain. "Pam told me about your ability," he said, not budging.

"Of course she did," I snarked, only realizing I'd said that aloud, too, after the fact. I needed a damn mute button. "So, what do you want?"

"You can read minds?" he looked disbelieving and eager at the same time. Wow, he was handsome.

"Duh."

"Can you read my mind?" he asked and stood to his full height again. I had to look up to meet his gaze. I was five foot five on a normal day, so that wasn't saying much. But he was _really_ tall.

"Heck no," I said quickly. "Not that I wouldn't want to, or that your mind isn't worth reading," I rambled and didn't stop even after I noticed I was. "But that would be bad. Very bad. I can only read humans. Nope, vampire minds are blissfully silent. Thank goodness for small favors."

Eric didn't stop me from jabbering like an idiot. In fact, he looked rather entertained by my word vomit. "Then that's what I'd like for you to do."

"What? You want me to read people's minds for you?" I all but squeaked.

"Duh," he mimicked as he stepped closer again, right into the beam of the overhead parking lot lights. I didn't drool, but I did admire. He was a looker for sure. Scary though, despite the blond hair and baby blue eyes.

He looked like a fighter, like some sort of warrior, or something kind of brutish. Definitely an old soul, given those calculating eyes of his. But he had the prettiest lips I think I'd ever seen. What kind of warrior had pretty lips?

"How old are you?" I blurted, then figured I probably shouldn't have asked that. Did vampires have some sort of etiquette? "I mean...never mind," I paused and took a deep breath. "You want me to read minds? That's all?" I asked, getting back to the subject.

"Yes. Humans under my retinue, or with whom I have dealings. You would be compensated, of course," he tacked the last on at the end, as if it were an afterthought.

"Okay," I said after a few seconds of debating. There really wasn't much sense in turning him down as far as I could tell. Either I did it of my own free will, or he'd find a way to force me. Not optional. "But I have another job that takes priority, and we'd have to negotiate the wages."

I actually felt rather proud of myself. I'd kind of always wanted to use my gift and get paid for it. Maybe use it to help people in trouble or something. I'd tried to talk Andy, at the police station, into hiring me at one point, but that didn't work out very well.

Maybe working for a vampire wasn't necessarily going to help people in need, but it was a start.

"But of course," he said with a smile. His teeth were clenched, though, and I had a feeling he wasn't too happy about it. "Tomorrow evening at Fangtasia would work for you, yes?"

I didn't want to think too much on if he was really asking, or if he somehow already knew I was off the next night. Instead, I just asked, "What time?"

"First dark," he replied.

"I don't really know if I could be there at exactly first dark, seeing as how I'm not a vampire. A specific time would help."

"You're strange for a human," he said with furrowed brows.

"That may be so, but I _am_ human. You're not. So, I don't exactly think you have room to judge what's strange or normal for something you haven't been in hundreds of years. What time?" I repeated. I was tired.

I figured if he was going to kill me, he probably would've done it already. Lord knows, I'd given him plenty of reasons. Probably back at the duh comment I'd made earlier? Maybe he liked to play with his food. Like a cat or something. And with that morbid thought, I shook my head. I needed sleep badly.

Eric smiled something that looked a bit more genuine. Frighteningly so, but by golly he was a beautiful man. "Nine pm should be adequate."

"Lookin' forward to it," I lied and took a few steps toward my car. I was wary, since he was still standing so close, and I was going to have to walk past him to get to my door. I forced myself to take those steps with my shoulders squared and my chin held up high.

I might've been brave, but I wasn't stupid. So when Eric stepped right into my path, my fist did not connect with his jaw like it wanted to. Though I did give him my best "get-the-heck-outta-my-way" glare.

"It would be wise for you to use caution when it comes to vampires, Ms. Stackhouse," he said in a low voice, as if he were trying to keep from being over heard.

Was someone else listening in? My eyes darted around. It had to be someone with exceptional hearing. I shivered at the thought.

"I hope that's not a threat, Mr. Northman," I whispered, following his lead. "Not a very good way to start a business arrangement, I don't think."

He narrowed his eyes and smiled again. Up close it was even more shocking. My pulse sped. "No threat, just a friendly warning. If others of my kind know of your ability, I doubt they'd request your assistance as I have."

He looked mighty proud of that fact, too. Like he was doing me a favor by giving me the illusion of an option. I scoffed. "I'm not stupid," I replied simply. "I'll be careful."

I knew I had at least two vampires stalking me. I wondered if Eric was one of them? Or Bill Compton? Something nagged at me in the back of my mind.

"Good," he said and stood upright again. He'd had to bend over to get close enough to speak discretely. I'd noticed but ignored his lack of respect for personal space.

"Besides," I said with an evil smile, all teeth and gums and crazy. "I've got two stakes in my pocket right now that would just _love _to play peek-a-boo with a vampire heart. I'm not unprepared." I palmed it for comfort.

Eric looked angry, and I shivered in real fear for the first time since we'd started talking. "I could snap your neck and have you half drained before you could blink, little woman."

He stepped close again, his body pressing right up against mine. I was shaking like a wet cat, but I held tight to the stake in my hand, wiggling the sharpened tip against his breast bone as he continued to glare down at me. I'd drawn it on pure instinct.

My voice was a lot steadier than I felt. "No need to be hostile, vampire. I was simply letting you know I'm prepared."

His eyes burned mine, but my gaze didn't waver. Even as his eyes flicked down to the stake pressed firmly to his chest and then back to mine again. He smiled again, huge and blinding, and...disappeared.

Fuck.

What the hell?

I stared dumbly, my eyes roaming and searching everywhere. Where'd he go? When my eyes couldn't find him, I felt with my mind. Nothing. Not even a human brain close enough for me to touch. I swallowed the lump in my throat, hoping those pitter-patters in my chest would slow down before I had a heart attack.

Then I got in my car and drove home. I was shaking too hard to go over the speed limit even though I really, _really_ wanted to. It be just my luck though; survive two vampires in one night only to be killed by driving my car into a tree on the way home. My car was too old or airbags.

When I pulled up to the house, I already had my things ready for me to run for it. But the sight of a naked backside walking around my front yard gave me pause. _Who in the hell?_

Human. Fuzzy, but human. I stepped out, silver knife in hand. No sense in wasting a perfectly good stake. "What the hell are you doing? Get off my property," I shouted as I stalked forward, hoping to startle the naked man into running.

I didn't _want_ to stab anyone.

"Sookie," a familiar voice said and the man turned around.

"Sam?" I asked as I recognized his face, then quickly averted my eyes. I _so_ did not need to see that much Sam Merlotte. He was completely naked. "Why are you in my yard? Where are your clothes?"

Okay, this was weird and embarrassing.

"Your whole yard smells like bloodsucker, Sookie. Is there something I should know?" Sam said, a tad of anger coloring his words.

What? My whole yard? "Bloodsucker? What are you talking about?" I knew, of course, but how did he? And how the hell was he smelling it? I couldn't smell anything but gardenias.

I still couldn't look at Sam, and when he stepped closer, it made it even more difficult to avert my eyes. I really needed to re-gravel the driveway. It looked horrible.

"Three of them, at least, maybe one more, but it was pretty far out and faint. What are you doing hanging with vampires, Sookie Marie Stackhouse?"

Oh, no. He'd broke out my full name. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Sam Merlotte. But I do know you better tell me why the heck you're naked and sniffing around my yard like a pervert?"

I was so angry I'd forgotten I wasn't supposed to be looking at him. But I held Sam's eyes, refusing to budge. He was going to answer me damn it.

Sam backed down first, looking away and properly chastised. I got a lot of flashes from his head then, since I hadn't bothered to keep up my shield. A familiar collie, sniffing around my woods and in my yard, and weird pictures of other creatures. Some of which, I'd never seen before.

"What the hell are you, Sam?" I stepped back and crossed my arms over my chest. Confused, angry, scared, I wanted this night to be just a bad dream. I pinched myself, hoping to awaken from it.

"I'm sorry, Sookie. I wanted to tell you. I really did," Sam said, looking like he really meant it. "I'm a ... well, I'm a ..." he seemed to be searching for the word, so I helped him out.

"You're a dog. Dean?" I screeched, upset and seconds away from tears. "I've let you sleep on my bed. In my house. God, Sam, why would you trick me like that?"

"I never meant to deceive you, Sook, you have to know that. It's just in my nature, you know? I've always hidden what I was. From everyone. You gotta understand. I couldn't tell you I was a –"

"Shifter," I finished, snatching the word from his head. "In my bed, Sam Merlotte!"

"I'm sorry, Sookie. I really am."

He was, I could tell. But it had been one hell of a day, and I felt like I was about to explode. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I don't," I held up a hand when Sam tried to interrupt me. "I'm not mad. Well, I am mad, but I'll get over it, and we can talk about it later."

"But, Sookie, the vampires. It's not safe for you to stay here," Sam insisted.

"Oh, hell no. No one is going to run me out of my house. Fang or dog-man or regular ole human." Sam looked guilty but determined. "Can they come in my house without an invitation?" I still wasn't certain about that one.

"No, but –"

"Well, then, I'll be perfectly safe. In there. Alone," I stressed. "Put pants on. Go home. I'm going to bed. We'll talk later."

"I don't like this," Sam argued.

"Don't really care right now, Sam. I'm upset, and I may say something I don't really mean if you keep pushing me. Go home."

Sam hesitated and then … shrank. Holy … Then it was Dean standing on my worn-out gravel, while I gaped in amazement. There was no pop and crackle of bones as they shifted, or anything off the sort. It was more like naked Sam – poof – lolling tongue border collie. Only without the poof or magical twinkling lights. So weird.

"Shoo," I waved my fingers at him, and Dean, er Sam, whined. "Go on. Get outta here. Shoo, shoo."

He finally trotted back toward the woods, waiting until I'd walked into the house before disappearing behind the tree line. I locked the door, and went to take a shower.

Sam may have very well stayed in my woods all night long. I didn't bother to listen, turning my shields up as high as they would go as I crawled into the bed. I feared my brain might shut down from overload as I slept, but that didn't stop me.

I slept and slept and slept. With a stake and silver knife under my pillow, I slept like a baby.

**A/N: OMG! So we finally meet the Eric Northman. I know, I know. It wasn't a whole lot with him, but there will be more next chapter. We have a job to negotiate, you know? Hehe. Thanks so much for reading.**

**Leave a comment if you'd like. I'd love to hear what you thought about their first meeting.**

**KISSES!**


	6. Ping Pong Match for Two

**A/N: I am so glad you are all loving this story so far. I'm definitely having fun with this Sookie. She's a little kickass. Thanks so much for the love and comments! And yes, this will, eventually, be an Eric/Sookie story. But not for a while. **

**Special thanks: EtheHunter is so fantastic, I don't have the words. She's in my favorites list. Go check out her profile for deets on how to buy her new book. It's a must read!**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns them, I just play with them.**

**Previously...**

"_Don't really care right now, Sam. I'm upset, and I may say something I don't really mean if you keep pushing me. Go home."_

_Sam hesitated and then … shrank. Holy … Then it was Dean standing on my worn-out gravel, while I gaped in amazement. There was no pop and crackle of bones as they shifted, or anything off the sort. It was more like naked Sam – poof – lolling tongue border collie. Only without the poof or magical twinkling lights. So weird._

"_Shoo," I waved my fingers at him, and Dean, er Sam, whined. "Go on. Get outta here. Shoo, shoo."_

_He finally trotted back toward the woods, waiting until I'd walked into the house before disappearing behind the tree line. I locked the door, and went to take a shower._

_Sam may have very well stayed in my woods all night long. I didn't bother to listen, turning my shields up as high as they would go as I crawled into the bed. I feared my brain might shut down from overload as I slept, but that didn't stop me._

_I slept and slept and slept. With a stake and silver knife under my pillow, I slept like a baby._

**SPOV**

The next night, I spent about forty-five minutes in my closet, trying to decide what to wear. I mean, I couldn't dress up too much, because then I'd look over-eager. Also, I couldn't dress too casually and risk looking like I didn't care at all.

There was a fine line I as trying to walk, but it proved a lot more difficult than I'd thought.

Silly, I suppose, that I cared how I was perceived. But it was a paying gig, and I would get to use my telepathy for something possibly helpful. I tried to over look the fact that, ultimately, I'd be helping a vampire, but it didn't work.

Thus, the struggle with deciding what to wear.

Had it been a normal human, or a normal job, I wouldn't have hesitated a bit. I had a beautiful pants suit made out of a satiny, clingy black fabric. It had tiny silver pin-stripes and a matching silver cami. It was classy and business'y all at once, and I'd still never had the chance to wear it.

It wasn't an interview though. No, I was going to negotiate wages and hours working for a vampire, and on top of that, I'd be doing a very un-normal job: reading minds. Who did that? Only me.

Some vindictive and secret part of me wanted to go to the meeting in my damn pajama's. Hell, I'd even settle for a pair of cut-offs and a tank top, simply out of spite. But I couldn't do that if I wanted to be taken seriously.

Regardless of my feelings for the situation, or my distrust of the vampire species in general, I did need to make a certain kind of impression. So, begrudgingly, I knew I had to dress a certain way.

Of course, after about forty minutes of trying on outfit after outfit, and hating them all, I was berating myself for spending so much time worrying about it in the first place. I wanted to bang my head against the wall for making an issue out of which outfit to wear.

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

In the end I went with the first one I tried on, on principle alone. I'm kind of stubborn like that.

While I was debating in my closet for far too long, Sam called three more times. He'd called at least half a dozen times, and while I wasn't quite as upset as I'd been the night before, I was still pretty pissed off.

He'd kept this secret from me for years, and it hurt my feelings. I'd told him countless thoughts and secrets of my own when I'd thought he was a dog. I'd slept in a bed with him! I may not have slept in the buff, but I didn't sleep in a bee suit either. I felt betrayed in so many ways, and I didn't know where to begin to even process how hurt I was over that.

So, no, I wasn't ready to talk to Sam yet. I knew I would, eventually, when I was ready. Until then, he could keep talking to the beep of my answering machine.

I dressed casually professional in a pair of dark grey slacks and a nice pink blouse. I even spent time fixing my hair in something other than a ponytail. I didn't do much more than dry it and toss it around a bit.

I had to draw the line somewhere, and there was no way I was going to _look_ like I'd put too much of an effort in.

Wasn't it enough that I was getting dressed at all? Wasn't it enough that I'd agreed to work for a vampire in the first place? I thought so. Matter of fact, I was pretty sure I was the biggest, most nicest, and wonderful person in the world for not staking Eric Northman last night when I'd had the shot.

Yep, he was lucky.

Not to be really and finally dead. I'd had enough time to tickle his left ventricle with a piece of oak before he dis-a-fucking-peared on me.

See, I could be amiable. Totally. It didn't matter that I'd picked the shirt I was wearing because it hid my knives well, one under each arm. Or that I'd chosen the pants because the wide-legs concealed the bulky stakes strapped to my ankles.

That was just a bonus for me as far as I was concerned. A tiny comfort. I'd go to the non-interview, talk to the vampire in my dress-up clothes, and be amiable, smiling Sookie Stackhouse. Armed to the teeth.

The silver cross around my neck was for giggles.

I pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia at nine-o-five. I never said I'd be early, certainly never made any promise. Besides, I was trying to make a point. As far as I was concerned, Eric Northman wanted _me_.

He wanted me to work for him. I was doing him a favor by agreeing to negotiate the terms. It was going to be on my terms, as much as I could make it be anyway. So, yes, Eric Northman could wait for me.

That is of course, until he tried to get all fangy and bitey on me. If that were to happen, I'd have to change my song and dance. Probably. Yeah, most likely. But until then it was going to be my show.

I didn't bother looking at the line, just walked straight to the main entrance and up to the big hulking man at the door.

"I'm here to see Eric Northman," I yelled over the shouting protests coming from the line beside me.

Hulk man gave me a narrow-eyed glare that lasted all of two seconds before he scoffed. I guess he wasn't impressed. At least not with anything other than my boobs. His thoughts told me he liked those very much. Perv.

I crossed my arms over my chest and raised an eyebrow, tapping my toe on the pavement while I waited for a response. He was a big man – at least a foot taller than me – with dark eyes and hair, and a perma-sneer that curled his lips.

He snorted and looked back at me. "You and every other fangbanger in this line is here to see Eric Northman. Back of the line," he finished, nodding in that direction before he looked away again.

I didn't know what a fangbanger was, but I was pretty sure it wasn't good. And I definitely knew I wasn't one. I stepped closer, into his private space, and glared up at him.

"I don't know what you think I'm here for, but I have an appointment. With Eric Northman," I paused and checked my watch, "for about ten minutes ago. I don't think he'd be too happy to find out his butt-boy delayed him for a meeting. Do you?" I gave him my sweetest smile, which always had a dash of crazy in it.

The meat head glared at me, and I glared, and we both glared. I put a hand on my hip, cocking it to the side. If he thought he was scaring someone with those huge crossed arms of his, he had another thing coming.

We continued the big glare off for a few silent seconds before he finally grunted and pulled out a walky-talky. "Name?"

"Sookie Stackhouse," I said, flashing pearly whites.

He spoke in a smooth deep voice while I continued my glare. He smelled really nice, and if he hadn't been giving me such a hard time, I might've thought he was cute. Well, not cute, but... rugged and masculine. In a good way, of course.

My smirk was smug when the voice on the other end confirmed that I was expected.

"My apologies, Ms. Stackhouse," he said as he pulled back the rope and allowed me to enter. "Mr. Northman is waiting."

I gave him a brilliant smile. "Thanks for your hospitality, Alcide," I said, enjoying the stutter in his thoughts.

"How'd you know my name?" he half growled, looking far more threatening than he had a moment before.

I tapped the side of my head as I resumed walking. "I know everything," I said cryptically and went inside. If I was going to work for Eric then I had no doubt he'd find out soon enough what I was capable of.

It wouldn't take me long to have a list of enemies, or a list of people who thought I was a freak. May as well go ahead and get it started, I figured. Bring on the crazy talk, I grinned.

I walked through the crowds of people, not really knowing where I was headed. My steps were sure and confident, despite the churning in my gut. I'd become pretty good at putting on a brave face, but truthfully, I was very intimidated.

I didn't know how to deal with a vampire, certainly didn't know how to negotiate with one. No doubt Eric Northman had hundreds more years of experience at these sorts of things. I'd just be working of the cuff, a damn amateur, that's for sure.

The place was abuzz with chatter, both mental and verbal, and I'm pretty sure everyone in the place was intoxicated. I latched on to the first vampire brain I could, letting out a dreamy sigh when the mental buzz went to zero.

Well, as zero as it ever got.

There were definitely going to be perks working in a vampire run bar. I could get used to the quiet.

I found Eric leaning against a bar in the back. He was glaring, but I could no more read his expression than I could his mind. Blank and empty. His eyes raked over me as I approached, then his expression wasn't so empty.

I knew that look. That hungry, lust-filled gaze that all men seemed to think was appealing to women, and would make them drop their panties without hesitation. I hated that look. You can't work in a bar and wear a skimpy uniform and not become well acquainted with that look. I notched my chin up higher and looked him straight in the eye.

I could only hope he got the silent message, that shit wasn't going to fly with me. Nope. Not gonna happen, so don't even think it. I wasn't even on the menu.

"You're late," Eric said when I stopped in front of him.

"I know," I said with a shrug. "We gonna do this here? It's kind of loud." I looked around, feigning indifference and confidence.

"Follow me," Eric snapped, and I dutifully followed when he turned his back and started waking further into the shadows.

We rounded a corner and walked down a hall. There was better lighting in the hallway and it took a minute for my eyes to adjust. Eric remained silent, his steps surprisingly quiet for someone so big. Mine were a little noisier since I had heels on, but I didn't speak either.

We passed another female vampire who ignored me as if I wasn't even there. She did, however, offer Eric a deep nod as she walked passed. He returned it with a tilt of his head.

Two doors were on the right, both labeled restroom. I frowned, before remembering most of their patrons _were_ human. Duh. After passing a door on the left, we stopped at the second. Eric opened it and walked in, leaving me to trail in behind him.

I assumed it was his office, and when the door clicked closed behind me and Eric took a seat behind the desk, it sort of confirmed my suspicions.

I sat in the chair opposite his desk and crossed my legs, not hiding the fact I was checking everything out.

I won't say his office was messy, because it wasn't, but it _was_ cluttered. And a bit chaotic. There was a laptop on the desk, several loose papers, and a few folders in various sizes. Shelves lined each wall, books and paper and folders taking up all the available space.

With the exception of one painting on the wall, I couldn't find a single item that personalized the space in any way. I squinted my eyes to read the small print at the bottom of the beautiful painting.

"What's Asgard?" I mused aloud, hoping to find a spark of knowledge in my own mind. "Isn't that from mythology or something? It's very beautiful."

"Norse mythology," Eric affirmed, sounding shocked. I glanced over at his wide-eyed stare and small smile before looking back to the beautiful art piece. "I'm impressed."

I snorted. "Don't be. For a time – a long time ago – I was obsessed with Thor. There was a secret crush, and lots of books, and posters, and... Yeah, it was bad. I don't know much really," I rambled, wondering briefly what in the world made me share _that_.

I heard Eric chuckle and I tore my eyes away to stare at him. He looked entertained by my confession, his shoulders bouncing slightly, but he didn't say anything further. I decided to get to business before he thought up some snarky comment.

"So, we were going to discuss pay?"

Eric's face went serious and he crossed his arms, his chair squeaking with the movement. "You can understand that I'm a bit skeptical of your ability?" At my nod, he continued. I'd expected as much. "You can also understand why I'd request a... demonstration of your telepathy."

I rolled my eyes. I knew he'd want me to show him what I could do. No matter how many times I told people, or how often I proved myself a mind reader, there were always people who didn't believe. I was used to it, despite being annoyed by it every time.

For me, mind reading was as easy as breathing, and for someone to question that I could do it was just ridiculous. Kind of like saying a baby didn't know how to cry. That was just silly.

"One," I said with a hint of annoyance. "I'll give you _one_ demonstration, and after that, whether you believe me or not, we get to business. Either you want me to work for you, or you don't. Easy." I shrugged.

"Agreed," Eric said. Then he picked up the phone, pressed two buttons, said nothing, and returned it to its cradle. "You're looking well this evening," he said conversationally as we waited for whoever he'd called on. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the desk between us and interlocking his fingers.

I didn't have to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. He was staring at my boobs. Men, all the same. Yeah, buddy, I love it when people talk to my breasts.

I snorted. "I prefer to skip the pleasantries, if you don't mind," I said while crossing my arms.

"Your wish," Eric smirked, his eyes danced with amusement when he finally dragged them back to mine. A timid knock sounded at the door and he beckoned, "Enter."

I kept facing forward as a nervous woman entered, flitting my gaze over to her briefly as she sat on the couch against the wall to my right. She was young, pretty and blonde, if a little on the thin side. The bite marks on her neck and wrists made me cringe.

"Well," Eric's voice was expectant, if a bit bored. He gestured to her with a showy hand and leaned back in his chair, waiting. "Show me what you've got, Ms. Stackhouse."

I rolled my eyes, laughing. Typical, of course, I'm not sure why I'd expected him to be different.

"It doesn't really work like that," I chuckled.

"So, you can't do it?" Eric asked, his eyes challenging.

"Of course I can do it, but it's not that easy," I defended and then stood.

"For instance," I began as I walked in a circle around the chair I'd been sitting in. "I doubt you care that she was afraid of getting in trouble when she first came in. But that she was also excited because she thought you might like to bite her. Eww."

I stopped circling and stood in front of the painting, not looking at either one of them as I continued. "I also doubt you want to know that she was curious who I was, but not scared, because she thought I looked nice."

I turned to look at the woman. Ginger, I snagged from her brain. "Thank you, by the way," I said and turned back to the painting, running a finger over the bronze frame. "I _know_ you don't care that she was trying to decide whether to fry chicken or grill steaks for dinner tomorrow."

Eric was sitting back in his chair, arms crossed, when I turned back to meet his gaze. Such a relaxed pose, I couldn't help but wonder if it was a silent threat. His expression was frustratingly blank. Though there was something there in his eyes, I just didn't know how to interpret it.

"You see," I carried on, aware that I could be signing a warrant for my own death. "I can read her mind, but unless you're specific in what you want from it, then it's just chaos. People don't typically think in straight lines, even when prompted, even less so when not. It's not enough for you to tell me to simply _read her mind_. What do you want to know?"

"Has she stolen from me?" Eric asked, leaning forward slightly. He was definitely intrigued now.

"Ah," I hummed and looked at Ginger. She swallowed hard. "No, she hasn't stolen from you."

I was going to leave it at that, but then I figured this was a test, so I'd better go all out. I'd never showed anyone _everything_ I was capable of. Eric wanted proof, and he was going to get it. And then some.

"But she did take a bottle of water one night and forgot to pay for it. She paid for it the next night and told Pam about it. Pam bit her as punishment, but Ginger here didn't mind too much. She likes being bitten."

I continued, staring smugly at Eric's raised eyebrow. "She's also kind of freaking out right now because of what I'm doing. It scares people, I'm afraid to say, even if they want to pretend they're fascinated by it. It still scares the shit out of people."

"What about money?" Eric asked, interrupting me. "Has she stolen money?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No money, no food. Not so much as a bottle of water, seeing as how she came back to pay for _that_ as soon as she remembered she'd forgotten to. She's clean, scared, and on the verge of fainting. She's afraid I'll see something about her ex-boyfriend in her memories."

Oh, oops. Damn. He'd beaten her up. Pretty bad too, from the looks of it. It wasn't something Eric needed to know, so I kept that to myself. "If you don't think about it, sweetie, I can't see it," I told her, trying to make my voice soothing.

Ginger started shouting OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD! over and over in her mind. Great, just great, I'd scared her to death. "She's going to pass out," I warned Eric when her breathing became irregular and rough. "Shit, she's passing out," I choked and ran over to catch her so she didn't fall off the couch.

I laid her down and turned to glare at Eric, who was still sitting in that stupid over-sized chair of his. Not one ounce of concern showed on his face. If anything he just looked lost in thought as he stared at me without really seeing. Maybe I'd shocked him too, but seeing as how I couldn't read his mind to know for sure, his indifference just pissed me off.

"See what you made me do?" I yelled as stood and walked over to his desk. "All because you didn't believe me. She's going to hate me forever, and probably stay the hell away from me. Stupid. Stupid vampire. It's only a matter of time before she tells everyone else to stay away from me, too. What then, Eric?"

I was used to being singled out due to my ability. That wasn't the problem. But if she told everyone what I'd done to her, then no one would trust me, and it would make reading them that much more difficult. With my hands on my hips, I started tapping my foot and cleared my throat.

He blinked and seemed to focus back on the here and now, looked up to me and flicked a hand toward Ginger in dismissal. "She won't remember it. She won't remember a thing. That was quite the show, Ms. Stackhouse," he said, his voice awestruck. "I'm thoroughly impressed." His eyes lit up with the smile that curled his lips.

I didn't need a cheerleader. What was wrong with him? "What did you say? She won't remember it? How could she forget?" I was pretty sure I'd scarred the woman for life, matter of fact.

Eric gave me a smile that was devious. It made me shudder. "I'll take care of Ginger," he said before picking up the phone again.

He spoke in a low whisper and two minutes later the big guy from the door came in, picked Ginger up off the couch, paused long enough to glare at me, then exited, leaving Eric and I alone.

"I'm willing to pay fifteen an hour for every reading, up to a hundred dollars a night. No more," Eric began while I stared open-mouthed at him. He started fiddling with papers on his desk, not even looking at me.

Was he going to kill the woman? Just because I'd read her mind? Was he going to take her life to keep her from talking?

I waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello! Are you going to kill her? Because I didn't sign up for that," I raged, walking around his desk to stand closer and look down on him. "Vampires may have one set of rules, but we humans have another. If I'm going to work for you, and I find out someone has done something wrong, you have to promise not to kill them."

"Ms. Stackhouse," Eric started, but I wasn't finished. And what the hell was so funny? Why was he smiling?

"No, I won't let you kill her. What you do to those of your own species is your decision to make, but I can't be an accessory to murder. No. Freaking. Way. You've gotta leave the humans to our own judicial system, flawed as it may be."

"I'm not going to kill her," Eric put in as he stood to his full height. I stood my ground, despite the fact he didn't just tower over me, he owned every bit of space in the tiny, cluttered office. I felt suddenly claustrophobic. "I'm just going to wipe the memory of your little display away from her mind."

"WHAT?" I squeaked. "You can do that? How can you do that?"

"Allow me to demonstrate," Eric whispered, smiling as he placed a hand on my cheek and leaned closer.

I shook off his hand, shrugging away from him and those piercing eyes. "No, you don't. Whatever it is you're thinking about doing, don't." I took a few steps back and stood against the far wall.

I was seconds away from reaching for a weapon. My fingers were already toying with the chain around my neck, as if it could protect me. Eric moved so quickly I couldn't track him, his large imposing presence, pinning me in place. I couldn't move, frozen in fear of what he'd do.

"Nice necklace, by the way," he said with an amused grin. His eyes met mine, and I shrank against the wall, wishing I could disappear altogether. "Look at me, Sookie." His voice was a whispered command.

I did as told, hating that I gave in so freely, but I was a little too scared to fight at the time. His eyes bored into mine, and I felt that strange tickling behind my eyes. I'd felt it before and didn't know what it was.

But now that he'd said something about it, I had my suspicions that he was trying to get into my head and make me do or feel or say something against my own free will. Just like he was going to do with Ginger. The idea made me sick.

"Stop that," I commanded, rubbing at my temples and squeezing my eyes shut even though it probably made me look weak. "Whatever you're doing, stop it. I don't like it." I shook my head, trying to smother the ache that suddenly developed.

Eric took a step back, but I was still trapped between his arms, which were braced on the wall on either side of me. "Interesting," he murmured, seemingly to himself. He was still staring at me though, and it was kind of creepy.

I used his distraction to my advantage and ducked beneath his arm, walking over to the exit. "I think we're done for tonight. I'm not sure I can work with you. I need another night to think about it."

Perhaps I was fooling myself by thinking he'd even consider such a thing. I opened the door, tossing one last glance at him over my shoulder.

This seemed to bring Eric back and those hard eyes of his made me swallow in fear. "Oh, you'll be working for me, Ms. Stackhouse. By force, if I must. Though I'd much rather you be willing."

"You can't make me," I said, hating that I sounded like a petulant child. At least I didn't stomp my foot, or something equally as ridiculous.

"I can and I will," he said evenly, as if he weren't threatening to hold me hostage, or some other horrible thing I didn't even want to imagine. "If it will ease you in your moral conflict, however, I will avow to harm no unwilling humans. What was it you suggested? I will leave them to their own justice system."

He walked toward me, all confidence and predator, and it made me feel like I was going to regret ever meeting him. I couldn't believe I was considering working for him. He was a monster. Truly a monster of the worst kind, all wrapped up in a pretty package.

Maybe I _would _work for him, but I'd never let my guard down around him. I'd never trust him. That would definitely be a mistake of epic proportions.

"You've got papers for me to sign?" I asked, knowing someone with his experience would want the details of our agreement on paper and legally binding.

"But of course," he replied, looking way too satisfied for my taste by my question. His eyebrow lifted and he smiled.

"I want to read them," I said firmly and pasted my hands to my hips so I'd quit with the damn fidgeting. "I also want it amended in the contract that humans will be left to be judged by other humans." Eric gave a nod, but I wasn't finished. "I also want it in my contract that I, under no circumstances, am I ever to be bitten. Ever," I emphasized.

"What if you ask for it?" Eric asked with a quirked eyebrow. He snatched a folder from the chaos of his desk and approached again, crowding me against the door.

"Not going to happen," I said with a shiver. Eww. Just eww.

"You may change your mind," Eric shrugged and handed me the folder. "I figured you would make such demands. You'll find everything is in there already."

I kind of lost steam at that revelation and stepped away from the door, keeping a safe distance between Eric and myself as I went to take a seat in my chair again. My nose was buried in the papers, reading and quite shocked when I noticed he'd already had those stipulations in the contract.

Eric even went as far as to amend that I wasn't to be bitten or fed from unless it was of my own free will. "SO, not going to happen," I muttered to myself and flipped to the next page. "What the hell is this?"

"Ah, yes," Eric hummed before sitting across from me again. Back to business. "I took the liberty of contacting your shifter boss. Every other Friday you will be here, reading the patrons and whatnot. As well as every Sunday evening."

"You called Sam?" I screeched, outraged. "You took the liberty? How dare you go behind my back and do such a thing." I continued, tossing his words back at him. "I told you my other job takes priority. You agreed. Also, you didn't say anything about reading customers. You said employees. I'm not signing this." I tossed the folder on his desk as I stood.

"I said those with whom I had dealings. If they're coming into my establishment, Ms. Stackhouse, then I have dealings with them. As for your job at the shifters bar, work what you want to work, I don't care. It is fair of me to request Sunday as a permanent work night for you. The bar is slow, he will not miss you."

I opened my mouth to comment, but he held up a palm to silence me. I made a face, but closed my mouth.

"I requested only every other Friday, because I know it is busier on the weekends, and perhaps he will need you most of the time. However, it is busier here as well, on the weekends. One night, every other weekend, is more than fair."

I scowled, not really having an argument against that, because when he explained it, it did sound fair and not like a big deal at all. I didn't have to like it though. You can bet Sam was going to be hearing from me too. "You didn't have to go behind my back and do it."

"It was something that needed to be discussed between the shifter and I. Your hours are his to give, am I not correct, since that job is taking priority?"

"Well, yes, I suppose." I didn't much care for his wording, but I knew what he was getting at. "You still should have asked me first," I pouted.

Eric waved a hand, dismissing me. I sneered and stomped over to sit back down, huffing a little as I grabbed the folder again.

"Now, any nights you have off from the bar I expect you here for at least two hours."

"Whoa. What? No way, Mr. Northman."

"Eric. Please call me Eric." His words were soft, but from his tone I could tell he was teasing me. I wanted to strangle him.

"Eric," I grit out. "I get one day, maybe two if I'm lucky, off during the week. You can't expect me to give up that day. I won't do it. I won't. I can't. I need that day to myself, to rest, to refuel, to just be me. I'll happily make the drive and work a night shift if I work the morning at Merlotte's, but if it's my day off, it's my day off."

I would not budge on that one. Maybe I didn't always do anything special, and maybe some of those days off were spent in my pajama's with my nose buried in a good book. But it was my day. Mine. I wasn't giving it to him or anyone else.

Eric seemed to acquiesce after a moments hesitation, in which I thought he may just decide to be done with me and eat me for dinner. But then he snatched the folder from my hand, scribbled on a few papers and tossed it all back to me.

"Anything else, Ms. Stackhouse?" he asked, finally looking as annoyed as I felt. Good. About time I got under his skin too.

"What's this about business dealings and trips? I know I didn't agree to that."

Eric sighed heavily, and I smiled to myself. Oh yes, I was definitely under his skin. "If I have business dealings where humans are involved, whether it be in or out of town, you will accompany me. Everything will be provided, of course, including any special clothing, food, airfare, hotel accommodations, and you'll be out no expense."

He must have read the dispute in my expression because he held up a hand and continued before I could spout off an argument. The only thing that kept me from talking over him was the fact he looked completely frustrated.

"Adequate notice will be given in order for you to request time off with the shifter. And you'll be paid double for anything out of town."

I opened my mouth, closed it again, and sank back into the chair feeling deflated. Thirty bucks an hour was hard to argue against. Hard to turn down too. Besides, I was so tired of arguing. I just had one more request before signing.

"Fair enough," I said after a moment. "But, I want twenty an hour instead of fifteen. With no maximum. I can make fifteen working at the bar. Twenty is more than fair."

"Twenty is extortion," Eric grumbled. Though I could tell from the look on his face, he was going to give it to me.

I just needed to give him an extra nudge. I smiled and tapped my fingernails on the arm of the chair. Eric watched the action, looking both fascinated and angry. So weird that some of his expressions were so easy to read, others I couldn't quite figure out.

"Mind reading is not so easy, Eric." I paused for effect. "It's very draining to sort through a persons mind and make sense of their thoughts." It was no lie, it definitely took a lot out of me. "No person that I've ever met thinks in complete sentences, and you're asking me to sort through a jumbled word search every night, for multiple people no less, and make sense of what they're thinking. It's worth twenty."

I finished and sat back, dangling the bait. Eric debated for far longer than I thought he should have. So I decided maybe a not so gentle nudge would help him decide. I looked away and toward the painting again, hoping to look nonchalant.

"I'm sure you're not the only one willing to pay me for my telepathy," I said conversationally. "Someone else would surely pay twenty bucks an hour to have a mind reader at their beck and call."

"Fine," he snarled, and I smiled, crossing my arms over my chest after tossing him back the folder. I was a gloater, sue me.

Eric made the adjustments and I signed my name on three different X's. I hoped I wouldn't live to regret working for him. Something told me that I would. As long as I was living though, I supposed I should count it as a win. Think positive, my Gran used to say.

"Is there a uniform or a specific dress code I should follow?" I asked as I stood to leave.

Eric led me to the door, shaking his head. His hair was a lot longer than I thought, almost to his shoulders. "Wear what you like as long as you look professional. Most nights you'll be with me, occasionally on the floor, or back here in my office. You represent me, so I do expect you to look the part."

I chuckled. "Don't expect me to wear any PVC or leather or anything ridiculously trashy. Maybe I'll be working for you, and maybe I represent your _image_, but I don't represent you."

Eric laughed and I turned to glare at him one last time before I left, wondering what in the world about this whole night he found so amusing. I couldn't think of a single thing. Maybe he enjoyed the verbal back and forth, but I was exhausted.

Eric's eyes went molten as they bored into mine, his voice a smooth rumble. "Your mouth, no matter how lovely, will get you into trouble one of these days, Ms. Stackhouse."

"Probably," I agreed, shaking off the weird flutter in my stomach. It had pretty much been getting me in trouble for my whole life. But I was prepared for trouble, wasn't I?

I debated telling him about what was hidden underneath my clothes, but in the end I decided against it. A gal needed to have her secrets. Besides, I was making it a mandatory part of my uniform anytime I was working at Fangtasia.

No, I thought, I'd keep my little secret.

I smiled up at Eric and then I went home.

**A/N: Holy crap. Over 6k words, people. And I have stressed and stressed and stressed some more over this chapter. I hope that you enjoyed their business meeting. Please, for the love of my sanity, drop me a line and put me out of my misery.**

**Did you hate it? Love it? I hope you'll take a second to leave me a note. Until next time...**

**KISSES! **


	7. What Do You Mean You People

**A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews to the last chapter!**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter did the beta thing. She's fantastic and helps keep me focused. I can't thank her enough. Check out her new book A Hidden Fire on amazon dot com. It's a fantastic book, and I recommend you ALL read it.**

**Disclaimer: CH owns them not evenflo78**

**Previously...**

_Eric laughed and I turned to glare at him one last time before I left, wondering what in the world about this whole night he found so amusing. I couldn't think of a single thing. Maybe he enjoyed the verbal back and forth, but I was exhausted._

_Eric's eyes went molten as they bored into mine, his voice a smooth rumble. "Your mouth, no matter how lovely, will get you into trouble one of these days, Ms. Stackhouse."_

"_Probably," I agreed, shaking off the weird flutter in my stomach. It had pretty much been getting me in trouble for my whole life. But I was prepared for trouble, wasn't I?_

_I debated telling him about what was hidden underneath my clothes, but in the end I decided against it. A gal needed to have her secrets. Besides, I was making it a mandatory part of my uniform anytime I was working at Fangtasia. _

_No, I thought, I'd keep my little secret. _

_I smiled up at Eric and then I went home. _

**SPOV**

"Just who the hell do you think you are, Sam Merlotte?" I stormed into his office and shut the door behind me. It rattled a little as it slammed, but I didn't care.

I'd had enough time to rest after my meeting with Eric, and my anger had plenty of time to stew overnight. I'd hoped it would lessen, but it hadn't. Probably had something to do with the other things Sam had been hiding from me. Yeah, probably.

And maybe a little to do with the fact that the unknown vampire spent the night in my woods again. I had half a mind to run out there like a loon and stake the bastard. But I wasn't a complete idiot.

"What the heck are you talking about? And why aren't you answering your phone?" Sam looked equally as pissed as he stood and stepped around his chair to approach me.

"You know what I'm talking about." I narrowed my eyes at him and put my hands on my hips. "And you certainly know why I haven't been answering the phone." Sam opened his mouth but I carried on. "Don't even start with that. I'm not ready to talk about that just yet."

"Will you ever be?" Sam muttered as he relaxed and looked away, toying with a few papers on his desk.

"Don't ignore me, Sam. Who do think you are? I can't believe you'd sell me out like that. How could you?"

"How could _you_?" he yelled and dropped the act. "You lied to me. Said you didn't know anything about vampires being in your yard. What the hell are you thinking? Working with vampires? Are you crazy?"

"Don't you talk to me about lies." I stepped closer, ignoring his scowl, and put a finger in his chest. "And I'm trying to keep my ass from being a vampire slurpy is what I'm doing. Why the hell would you give my hours to Eric like you did? Especially without talking to me first."

"What do you mean? Are you in some kind of trouble, Sookie?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, Sam. Now stop avoiding the question."

Sam shrugged and looked away again. "He called, said you agreed to work for him. I tried to call and confirm, but _someone_ wasn't answering her phone. He didn't really leave much option, to be honest. He was very convincing, said he'd talked to you just the night before."

I sighed. I knew first hand how convincing Eric could be. Unfortunately. "You could've left a message."

"Yeah," Sam chuckled. "'Hey Sookie, I've got a vampire on the other line here that says you were coming to work for him, even though you have a job already. Is this true?'" he shook his head. "I wasn't exactly happy to find out you'd taken another job without consulting _me_ first. And for a vampire, no less. That's just crazy."

"Oh?" My eyes went wide and I poked him in the chest again, for good measure. "I need your permission, do I? I need to ask you before I do anything on my own? It doesn't work like that, Sam. Besides, it's not like I really wanted to take the job. He knows I'm a telepath. And you're not exactly human yourself, or did you forget that part?"

Sam rolled his eyes and huffed at my last comment. "Well, how'd he find that out? And what do you mean? Did he threaten you?" He swiped my hand away with a flick and pierced me with his glare.

"No, he didn't threaten me." _Not yet_, I added silently. "But he is a vampire, and I'd be stupid to try to tell him no. Plus, I get to use my telepathy for something other than airing people's dirty laundry. And he's paying me twenty bucks an hour to do it. I couldn't say no to that."

"Twenty bucks an hour? You think that's going to be enough, Sookie? What about the dangers of working for a vampire? Did you think about that? What if something happens to you and you get hurt? Is twenty dollars an hour going to pay for hospital bills?"

Well, I hadn't really thought about _that_. I'd been so sure I was prepared, the thought of me ever getting harmed in the...er...line of duty had never even occurred to me. Stupid, considering vampires were dangerous and probably violent. Oh, and they sucked blood, the source of life.

I shrank back away from Sam silently as I considered his words, ultimately succeeding in making them very real fears for myself. Smart as I was, I could be pretty dumb sometimes.

"Nothing is going to happen," I told him, as well as myself.

"I hope you're right," Sam said softly and placed a hand on my arm. I looked up at him and allowed a small smile. "You'll be careful, right? And you'll not hold it against me when I tell you I think this is a stupid idea, will you?"

I snorted and pulled away from him, walking back to the door. "I'm not ready to forgive you yet, Sam. But, yes, I'll be careful."

I left his office door open as I went to clock in for my shift. I couldn't shake the butterflies from my stomach though. It was going to be my first night working for Eric "The Vampire" Northman, and I was downright anxious.

And not in a good way.

Of course it didn't help matters that I still didn't know who my stalker was. Or if it was Eric himself. Even if it was, did that make me feel any better about it? Not really, if I was being honest. Why the hell would he want to listen to me snore half the night?

It didn't make any sense.

The only other vampire's I'd met were Pam and Bill.

I knew Pam worked with Eric, so there would have to be a general or common reason for her to be hanging out in my yard. That didn't make much sense to me either. Unless it was as some sort of surveillance. Maybe they did that with all of their employees? It still wasn't a very good reason if you asked me, so I wasn't sure it was her either.

And then there was Bill, the creepy dark-haired man that had come in, sat in my section, asked me to dinner at his place – yuck – and then watched me like a serial killer while he drank bottled blood for the rest of the night. Bill, who was also my neighbor.

I damn near dropped the tray of ketchup bottles I had in my hand. How could I have not made that connection? Could it be that easy? But then what was _his_ reasoning? I'd only met him the once, so why would he be lurking around _my_ house?

He had managed to majorly creep me out, so that in itself made him suspect. Damn, I just wasn't sure that made the most sense either. Without knowing the motive, I just couldn't be certain.

I suppose it was a good thing I didn't think like a vampire, though I'd give anything to be able to take a peek into their minds every now and again. I sighed, frustrated and annoyed, and went back to work.

There was only one way to find out for sure, and that would be to take my ass out there one night and confront the bastard. Not gonna happen. I'm not suicidal.

"Can I get some more tea, Sookie dear?" Ms. Fortenberry called, startling me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm so sorry," I kicked myself for not paying closer attention. She was the only customer in the place, and I couldn't even keep her tea glass full.

I tried to forget about vampires and focused on working my shift at Merlotte's. It felt good not to worry, even though it always hung like a black cloud in the back of my thoughts. How had my life turned out like this?

Since it was slow, Sam sent me home early. I was pretty sure he was just trying to get back in my good graces, and it was definitely a step in the right direction. What can I say? I'm easily pleased.

Besides, I was really hoping to get a tiny snooze in before I had to report to Fangtasia for my first shift. Turns out, that was just wishful thinking.

I laid down in my bed with my coziest nightshirt on and the window opened to allow a light breeze to flow through. But all I succeeded in doing was giving myself a bad case of bedhead, since all I did was toss and turn for two straight hours.

I got out of the bed, slightly angry, groaning as I went in search of food.

After fixing myself some chicken salad, I went to my closet. I debated for all of about five minutes before deciding I was going to need to do some shopping.

I had dress clothes, but very few of them involved sleeves and slacks. Kind of hard to conceal weapons in a sundress, really, even if I were to wear a cardigan. Buying new clothes was going to have to wait until I got a few paychecks from Fangtasia.

Frowning, I grabbed the only other slacks I owned and the red blouse that went with them. Funny that I was going to a vampire bar wearing what I considered to be vampire colors: red and black, but at least they'd hide my armor.

I strapped on my knives and stakes, feeling sort of kickass since I even had little holsters for them to go in. I must admit, seeing myself in the mirror, in nothing but black underwear and weapons, was a little exhilarating.

I felt like some bad ass female assassin, maybe Angelina Jolie or Milla Jovovich, only with blonde hair and more meat on my bones. I snorted at my thoughts and put on the rest of my clothes.

After pulling my hair into a high ponytail, I cleaned up my dishes and headed out for work.

I could admit to a little excitement, but overriding that, was the anxiety. I hoped Sam was wrong, and I wouldn't have to worry about my safety. But I couldn't shake the fear he'd stirred up. What if something did go wrong? What if one of the vampires lost control and decided they wanted to bite me? Or worse, kill me?

I suppose there really wasn't much I could do unless it happened, so it didn't do me much good to worry about it. Though I did decide I was going to ask Eric about health insurance. Sam couldn't afford to provide it at the bar, but maybe Eric could.

Another thing I wasn't too keen on was the whole reporting-for-duty-at-first-dark thing. Was I going to start keeping time by how low the sun was in the sky from now on? Was that going to be my go-to if someone asked me what time it was? Thirty minutes til dark? Or half an hour past sundown?

I chuckled at myself. I fretted over strange things sometimes.

I was a little annoyed when I parked at Fangtasia and it wasn't dark yet. It made me look eager, and I certainly didn't want to look eager. I cut the engine and waited.

A car with squeaky brakes and an even worse paint job than mine pulled in about five minutes later, so I didn't have to wait too long. It was Ginger, I realized after a few seconds of listening to her thoughts, and I hopped out of my car quickly, uneasy and a little disbelieving to see if she remembered me or not.

She didn't, which I'll admit was a little weird and unsettling.

"You must be the new assistant," she chatted excitedly as soon as she saw me. "Pam told me to be expecting you tonight. What's your name again? She told me, but I can't remember. I'm sorry."

Assistant? So that's what they were calling my position? Alrighty.

I spaced out a little as I dug around for any remnants of the night before in her memories. There was nothing but a big blank spot where it should have been, which was a little disconcerting to say the least.

"Sookie," I finally said and stepped forward. "Sookie Stackhouse. You must be Ginger?"

Her thoughts were as erratic as the night before, but most everyone's were. "I am," she shook my hand daintily and stepped back, gesturing for me to follow. "I have a key, so we don't have to wait. Come on."

I followed after her dutifully. "What time do they usually get here?" I asked as she unlocked the door and pushed it open. They, meaning the vampires, Ginger knew that without me having to spell it out.

Ginger gestured me in first, and I stepped over the threshold and into the darkened hallway. "Not too long after dark, normally. Sometimes they sleep here, sometimes they go...somewhere else – I don't really know where – but they're always here before we unlock the front doors."

She locked the door behind her and flipped a switch, not pausing before taking off down the hall. I followed after only a moment, realizing the back entrance was just down the hall from where Eric's office was. We passed by it on our way out to the bar area.

"There's a locker you can keep your purse in over there," she pointed at a door as we passed. "But most of us just hide our stuff behind the bar. No one's gonna go back there," she snickered.

I nodded as she continued, pointing out the bathrooms and break room, this, that, and the other. Her never ending chatter was a welcome distraction from my nerves. My palms were slick with sweat – which I really hated.

It was pretty quiet at first, with just Ginger and I there, but it didn't take long for others to start trickling in. Everyone was human, of course. At least I thought so. Since the strange shifting-into-a-doggie show with Sam, I was beginning to have doubts.

How many other supernatural creatures were out there that I had no clue about? Probably a lot, but I wasn't crazy enough to just start running around and asking people. At least not yet. Anything could happen, though.

I stiffened when I felt them approach. Of course I was the first one to notice, thanks to my telepathy, so I was prepared for when the door opened and Pam walked in, with Eric a few strides behind her.

Ginger went positively gaga, which was a little strange to sense, but most everyone else went about their business. There were a few nods and murmurs as the duo walked by, but otherwise the crew just seemed to work more efficiently.

It made me snort a little. Which, of course did not go unnoticed by Pam or Eric.

"Something amusing, Ms. Stackhouse?" Eric's eyebrow was quirked, and his face was amused.

"Yep," I totally popped the _P_ too, as if to make the point that was all I was going to say about it.

"Nice to see you again, Sookie," Pam purred. I'd never known people could make their voices sound so seductive, but Pam could, and it was most definitely a purr.

"Nice to see you without your hand around my throat," I replied. Pam chuckled and then frowned like she hadn't meant to. Whatever. "Do you people offer insurance?"

"You people?" Pam copied, amused.

"Afraid something is going to happen to you?" Eric stepped forward, fingering my ponytail. I shrugged him off and smoothed my hair back in place.

"Well, shouldn't I be? You _are_ the stuff nightmares are made of."

Eric snorted. "I'm hardly a nightmare, but I am _very_ interested in being a part of your dreams, Ms. Stackhouse."

"Dream on," I said and then snorted, realizing the pun. "Do you have insurance or not?" I stepped away from him, since he'd encroached on my personal space. Again. He seriously had issues.

Eric seemed amused that his proximity made me uncomfortable, and made an effort to step even closer than before as he spoke. "You're under my protection, Sookie, and have nothing to fear. But if it will reassure your sense of security, I do provide my employees with health and life insurance."

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Good." I just hoped it wasn't too expensive.

"Pam will have the papers and any information you need prepared before you leave." Eric stepped even closer, putting a heavy arm around my shoulders as he guided me back down the hallway. "You can store your bag in my office."

"I can just put it in one of the lockers." I tried to do a shoulder wiggle, so I could discreetly pull away from him, but it didn't work. Damn his arm was heavy.

Eric just pulled me closer and chuckled. I tried not to make a gag face. "Nonsense. I insist." He opened the door to his office, finally removing his arm so that I could enter. "Anywhere is fine," he flicked a wrist.

I walked in quickly, set my purse on the sofa, then returned to the door. "What will I be doing tonight?" I looked up, noticing his expression had turned serious.

"We have a meeting tonight. He's a vampire, so I don't expect you to read his mind, but I'd like you there all the same."

"What? Why? What kind of help would I be?"

"The way I see it, you've been reading minds for what? Your entire life? Reading a person's body language should be no less of a challenge for you. You know what signs to look for when a person is lying."

I frowned and crossed my arms, ignoring his as it settled on my shoulder again. He guided me back down the long hallway. "Yeah, but not vampires, and I wouldn't call myself an expert at reading human body language either."

People did have tells, I'd learned over the years. The problem was, it was different for everybody. Not everyone made the same gestures or had the same ticks as the next person. I understood his logic, but I didn't completely agree with it.

I felt Eric shrug. "I suspect it is much the same, we were all human at some point. Anything you notice would be useful. He's new in town, so I don't know much about him. It makes me suspicious that he's been in town for a few weeks and is just now contacting me."

The last part of his rant seemed like he was talking to himself more than he was me. But honestly, if I was going to survive with my body parts intact, then I was going to need all the inside information I could get. I was going to have to learn how vampires thought.

"I'll do what I can, but I won't make any promises."

Eric hummed but didn't say anything else, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. He led me out into the bar area, still holding onto my shoulders despite my attempts to shrug out from under him. He was too strong. Did vampires get stronger the older they were? If so, how old did that make Eric?

I was shocked when we walked through the bar and all the way up to the front door, where creepy vampire Bill Compton was waiting. Very suspect. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Sheriff," he acknowledged Eric, nodding deeply, though his eyes never strayed from mine.

I tried not to curl tighter into Eric's embrace, but I couldn't help it. Then I realized I'd done it and stood up straight, notching my chin and squaring my shoulders. I think I even managed a you-don't-scare-me face. Or maybe I just looked constipated.

"Bill Compton," Eric said, not nodding back or acknowledging Bill's extended hand. "I've been waiting for you to announce your arrival into my area."

Oh, yeah, there was a threat in those words if I've ever heard one. Bill stiffened, realizing the same thing. And had he said Sheriff? Funny, I'd never seen Eric in any sort of uniform. What did a vampire Sheriff do anyway?

"Perhaps," Bill was saying, "this conversation would be best in private?" His eyes flicked briefly to me, before meeting Eric's once more.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, which made Eric tighten his grip on my shoulders. Maybe I wouldn't be too bad at the reading body language thing, after all, because creepy Bill was definitely hiding something.

Eric waved his hand and pulled me closer. I was really going to have to learn a different shoulder maneuver.

"Bill, this is my Sookie. Sookie, say hello to Bill Compton." Eric's voice was very cat-that-ate-the-canary, and I had a feeling he was going to be showcasing his little telepath – aka: me – as often as possible.

What the... What did he just say?

I stepped forward, finally out from under Eric's arm, and pinned him with a glare over my shoulder before I turned back to Bill. "I'm his _employee_," I stressed and extended my hand. "And we've met before."

I didn't have to see him to know that was a shock to Eric. Judging by the expression on Bill's face, it wasn't a good one either. He shrank back and immediately bowed his head.

Oh, goody. Let the fun begin.

**A/N: So, we got a little more time with Eric, and another peek at Pam. Hope you enjoyed and will take the time to comment. Seriously, some days it's the only thing that keeps me going. Thanks in advance.**

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**KISSES!**


	8. What's on Your Armpit?

**A/N: How long has it been? Too long, I know. To be honest, I didn't even want to check the last date I updated this story. I'm so ashamed. Thanks for your patience.**

**Special thanks to: EtheHunter for reading through everything I've sent her over the past couple weeks. I've seriously been overwhelming her and she's been amazing. Any remaining errors are all mine.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is boss. **

**Previously...**

_I was shocked when we walked through the bar and all the way up to the front door, where creepy vampire Bill Compton was waiting. Very suspect. I narrowed my eyes at him._

"_Sheriff," he acknowledged Eric, nodding deeply, though his eyes never strayed from mine._

_I tried not to curl tighter into Eric's embrace, but I couldn't help it. Then I realized I'd done it and stood up straight, notching my chin and squaring my shoulders. I think I even managed a you-don't-scare-me face. Or maybe I just looked constipated. _

"_Bill Compton," Eric said, not nodding back or acknowledging Bill's extended hand. "I've been waiting for you to announce your arrival into my area." _

_Oh, yeah, there was a threat in those words if I've ever heard one. Bill stiffened, realizing the same thing. And had he said Sheriff? Funny, I'd never seen Eric in any sort of uniform. What did a vampire Sheriff do anyway?_

"_Perhaps," Bill was saying, "this conversation would be best in private?" His eyes flicked briefly to me, before meeting Eric's once more. _

_I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, which made Eric tighten his grip on my shoulders. Maybe I wouldn't be too bad at the reading body language thing, after all, because creepy Bill was definitely hiding something. _

_Eric waved his hand and pulled me closer. I was really going to have to learn a different shoulder maneuver. _

"_Bill, this is my Sookie. Sookie, say hello to Bill Compton." Eric's voice was very cat-that-ate-the-canary, and I had a feeling he was going to be showcasing his little telepath – aka: me – as often as possible._

_What the... What did he just say?_

_I stepped forward, finally out from under Eric's arm, and pinned him with a glare over my shoulder before I turned back to Bill. "I'm his employee," I stressed and extended my hand. "And we've met before."_

_I didn't have to see him to know that was a shock to Eric. Judging by the expression on Bill's face, it wasn't a good one either. He shrank back and immediately bowed his head._

_Oh, goody. Let the fun begin._

**SPOV**

Dove. Secret. Degree. Mitchum. Lady Speed Stick.

Different brands of deodorant, as I'm sure you know, all of which happened to be in my cabinet back at the house. You see, I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I can't always use the same antiperspirant, especially not for long periods of time.

Something about my hormones and PH balance going all wonky on me for one week out of every month, usually at the same time I ovulate. If I didn't change it up every now and again, I'd end up walking around with unbearable body odor and the self-conscious need to keep my arms glued to my sides at all times.

I even had a roll of that masculine smelling Right Guard for especially foul days. I reckoned I'd rather walk around smelling like a man than the laundry chute at a Gold's Gym any day of the week. Because... eww, just eww.

I'd gotten used to it over the past few years, since it'd started anyhow, but as we walked back to Eric's office I found myself wondering which one of those I'd put on. It didn't seem to be performing quite as well as it should. I was sweating like Homer Simpson in a doughnut shop.

Bill wasn't sweating. Well, I didn't think he physically _could_ sweat being a vampire and all, but I couldn't be positive. He was very obviously anxious though. Being unable to "hear" what it was that made him so, I'll admit, was a little difficult for me.

He followed us down the hall and into Eric's office. "Us," because Eric had yet to remove his arm from my shoulder. I scowled the entire way down the hall. No one noticed. Except for Eric, who seemed to find it amusing.

Strange that I could be all cuddled up, nice and snug to a veritable walking corpse, with the body temperature of a soda can and still be perspiring. Part of it was nerves, I knew. Another part had to do with all the extra layers and leather straps housing my arsenal of weaponry.

Even still, it wasn't comfortable, and I struggled not to fidget while sneaking a whiff of my armpits. Whichever choice I'd made, it was doing its job, at least for the time being.

Thank goodness for small favors because vampires had an exceptional sense of smell. Could they scent emotions? Some of the supernatural creatures I'd read about in fiction could. My knowledge on the real thing was severely lacking.

"Lovely," I mumbled to myself as we walked into Eric's office. He gave me a look, but I just shrugged – still with his arm around my shoulder, mind you. His arm was darn heavy.

He gestured to Bill, who sat stiffly on the edge of the couch, then closed the door and walked behind his desk with me in tow. Even though I saw it coming, I was still shocked when Eric tried to pull me into his lap.

Scoffing, I tugged out of his arm and took a step and a half back to stand behind his chair, arms crossed and face stern. _He better not press me on this_, I thought. I'd just about met my quota for good behavior. He was lucky I'd been a good girl thus far.

Snickering lightly, he shrugged as if it were my loss, then got down to business.

"She's not one for much PDA," he teased aloud. After leaning forward, he locked gazes with Bill and clasped his hands on top of his desk. "Tell me your business in my area," he commanded.

Bill looked... Well, I think he was going for relaxed, but he couldn't quite pull that off. Instead he looked wooden. Back ramrod straight. Knees at a perfect ninety degree angle. Hands placed properly right on top. He kind of reminded me of one of those wax sculptures you see in a museum.

Except for his eyes. Those moved. Creepy, I know. I was there.

"I was allowed sabbatical in order to restore the family home."

It sounded rehearsed even to my ears. Could've been the truth. Then his words hit me.

"Family home, you said?"

He gave a curt nod. "My ancestors, yes."

I started to say something else, then thought better of it. I wanted to see what information Bill would offer on his own, so I just hummed in response. If Eric thought anything off about my question he showed no sign.

Awkward silence ensued, so Eric must've sensed something. Bill didn't seem obliged to elaborate, but I knew he was hiding something. For whatever reason, Bill didn't want Eric to know he was my neighbor. Alarm bells clanged around in my noggin.

More than a little frightened by how that related to whatever his agenda may have been, I almost told Eric myself. My inner Sherlock Holmes wanted to figure it out on my own.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I went with the latter.

I watched Bill, waiting for him to give something away. I was going to suck as this job. I could no more read a vampire than I could a farting corpse. Figuratively speaking.

Bill met my eyes, and we seemed to have one of those silent conversations, the details of which I wasn't privy to. His head tilted imperceptibly, as if we'd come to an agreement and he looked away.

What the hell? No way. I tried to keep my face as blank as possible. It wasn't as easy for me. Bill and I weren't cahooting in anything, thank you very much. I certainly wasn't keeping his secrets, that was for damn sure. I narrowed my eyes and assessed. Then I moved.

Curiosity made Eric's eyes lift to me as I vacated my spot and walked over to Bill. I could feel them boring into my back, but he said nothing.

Leaning over Bill, I placed my hand over his, touching the ring that lay on his index finger. "That's a lovely ring."

It was a diversion. I knew it; neither Eric nor Bill did.

Vampire thoughts were silent to me, but I hadn't really touched one at the same time I was _trying_ to use my telepathy. Touch amplified thoughts; gave them surround sound, if you will. I was hoping for a blip.

"A family heirloom," Bill said with reverence.

Nothing. Zip. Nada. If anything, the minds from the club seemed to get even quieter. Damn it.

As Bill reached to touch my hand, I pulled away. "Pretty."

I walked back over and resumed my station behind Eric's desk, like I was Secret Service or something. He raised an eyebrow at me, but I only shrugged. It had been a bust, but I'd have punished myself if I didn't at least try.

Eric flicked through a few papers before speaking to Bill as if our exchange had never happened. "You've been here for nearly three weeks now."

I think Bill and I were both a little shocked at that. I'd only heard rumor of Bill for about two weeks. Bill, I think, had assumed Eric thought the same.

He was pretty quick on his feet; I'll give him that. His face was as dry as his voice when he said, "yes."

"And you're just now checking in with the area." Eric's unspoken question inquired as to why.

Ignorant as a baby, I had no clue what he was really asking. Did all vampires have to check in when they changed location? Like at a hotel or something? Were they registered and given room keys? I really wasn't sure how that business worked.

It was obviously very significant to Eric.

Bill remained still, but his eyes were a bit restless, I noticed. "The repairs to my home have been... extensive." His voice was strangely confident.

I was pretty sure if there was a reason for Eric to press him about it, then Bill's answer wasn't going to suffice. It wouldn't have for me.

Eric lifted his eyes to Bill's again; he'd gathered all the information he needed from those papers on his desk. I tried to sneak a peek over his shoulder, but all I could see was a sales paper for Target. Maybe Eric needed Laundry detergent. Tide was buy one get one!

"You came in from New Orleans, correct?"

Huh. Bill didn't look like he was from New Orleans. Then again, I'd only been there once and that'd been years ago, what kind of expert did that make me? My only surviving relative lived there, last I'd heard. I hadn't seen Hadley since before Gran was murdered. I'd assumed she was dead when she didn't show up for the funeral.

Maybe that was a bit heartless of me, but we'd never been close. It hardened me a little more when she didn't come to Gran's service.

"I did," Bill answered. No hesitation. Eric was setting him up for something, I didn't know what.

"I assume you flew in," Eric continued.

Bill gave a tight nod. "Anubis. I've only recently acquired a vehicle. Another reason for my delay."

I smothered a grin. Eric must've noticed some change in my demeanor because he tossed me a wink over his shoulder. Bill was clueless.

I can't say I felt too horribly bad for him. He'd walked himself right into that one.

Shreveport was the nearest airport to Bon Temps. I doubted Bill flew in to Little Rock or Jackson, which would've been the next closest. All Bill's excuses for his delay were now void, considering he'd flown in to the very city where Eric's business resided.

Bill's face shifted only slightly. At Eric's expectant face, he seemed to realize his mistake.

"Perhaps I should have checked in upon my arrival." He looked properly contrite.

"As required," was all Eric said.

"My apologies, Sheriff," Bill replied, head bowed. Now he was kowtowing.

Wait a minute. There was that word again. "Sheriff?" I asked aloud. Eric didn't look anything like Rosco Coltrane. I was a Duke's fan, sue me.

Eric spun his chair to face me. His eyes were full of mischief. "Perhaps you would like to play cops and robbers later, my Sookie?"

Oh, boy. Yeah right. "Only if I get to be the cop." I crossed my arms.

When Eric gave me an enthusiastic look, I vowed to keep my mouth shut in the future. "That could be arranged."

I rolled my eyes. Eric raked me up and down and then back again. I squirmed and sighed, waving a hand for him to get back to business. After meeting my eyes and licking his teeth, no fangs thank goodness, he finally did.

"What was your position in New Orleans?"

Bill sat up straighter. It was the most he'd given away physically. At least that I'd noticed. He didn't want to answer that question. Maybe? Or maybe he was making a grocery list in his head? I frowned.

"I am not sure what you mean," he said carefully. Each word was enunciated to its full extent. Bill really gave me the creeps.

Eric sighed, as if he hated having to explain himself. "You said you were given a sabbatical. From what?"

I think he'd set Bill up for that question too, but I could've been imagining it.

"Ah, yes," Bill said thoughtfully. "I worked for the Queen."

The Queen? There was a vampire Queen? The idea made me snort. I pictured something like Helena Bonham Carter from Alice in Wonderland. Then I giggled aloud, pulling my lips in tight to hold it back.

Eric looked amused. Bill gave me the hairy eyeball. I'd disrespected his "Queen." Whatever.

"As?" Eric encouraged.

Bill's answer was quick. A little too quick if you asked me. Which no one did. "I worked in computer technology."

Eric grabbed up a stack of papers and clacked them on the desk, lining them up properly. "Then that is what you shall do here."

What? Oh no! Don't tell me I was going to have to work with Bill? I didn't think I could handle that on a regular basis. Eric was more than I could deal with as it was.

Bill seemed just as hesitant. "Pardon?"

"As recompense for your failure to announce yourself in a timely manner, I require two nights of service a week for the next three months. Various jobs in your skill set will be provided and you will be compensated."

Eric did sound a bit like a Sheriff after that. I may have gaped a little. Give him a badge and a uniform and he was every bachelorette's fantasy. He continued.

"However, a cut of your earnings will be divided amongst the area and my people in whichever way I see fit. Ten percent of whatever income you bring in will be sent to our Queen. She will know of your lapse."

Uh-oh. That was a threat if I'd ever heard one. Bill recognized it too, given the slight widening of his eyes.

Eric gave Bill a scathing look, dared him to argue, then said, "That is all. You are dismissed."

Bill stood and gave Eric a slight bow. All this bowing; I hoped Eric didn't expect me to do that anytime soon. Laughable really. I'd never been the subservient type.

"Good evening to you, Sheriff." Bill lifted his eyes to mine, offering me a brief nod. "Sookie."

Then he left, the door closing silently behind him. Whoa. Well, that was interesting.

I walked to the other side of Eric's desk. "There's definitely something fishy going on there," I said.

Eric hummed. "Yes, but what?"

"No theories?" I found that hard to believe. I knew absolutely zilch about vampires and how their minds worked, and even I had a few. None of them seemed logical, but they were theories and didn't have to be.

Bill had been as evasive as my nap had been earlier. Just when I thought he was going to give something away, some nervous tick or tell that indicated he was lying, his expression would stall. It must've been a vampire trait.

I couldn't read Eric's face either. "Some."

"Don't suppose you feel like sharing?"

"Perhaps I could be persuaded."

I moseyed around his office, snooping shamelessly, and ignored his innuendo. "I'm not feeling particularly persuasive at present."

"Too bad," he sighed. I could see him smiling from the corner of my eye but chose not to address it in favor of my perusal. Eric had a lot of stuff. "Find anything interesting?"

"Yes." I left it at that, though I did give him a pointed look. _Sharing was a two-way street_, it said. He chuckled but didn't comment.

Eric relaxed back in his chair. I turned back to the picture on the wall as he crossed his arms behind his head. Hopefully I could leave soon. As fun as the night had been, I was ready for a little bit of normalcy, for lack of a better word.

He had to break the silence. "How'd you meet him?"

"Hmm?"

"Bill? You said you'd met him before. Where?"

"Merlotte's," I answered. "Actually it was the same night I met you. Fancy that," I smiled over my shoulder. "He came in for a drink."

Eric nodded. "And that was that?"

Sort of. Bill had invited me "over for dinner" and stuck around long enough to give me the willies. Which was why, when I ran into Eric at the end of my shift that night, I'd been so irritated. I didn't tell him that.

I held my breath a moment before I spoke. Here goes nothing. "He's practically my neighbor."

As close to one as I was ever going to get. Hummingbird Lane wasn't exactly subdivision material. No one was going to be developing anything out there anytime soon. I liked it that way.

"You don't think that's significant?"

I turned to give him a look as I contemplated how I wanted to answer that question. "I do," I finally said. I was willing to give him the truth. How much was yet to be determined. Bill had given me more reasons to find him suspicious. Nothing I could put my finger on exactly, but there was something. "I'd be a fool not to."

"Good," was all he said. He fingered a stack of papers on his desk When he lifted his head, meeting my stare, I realized I'd been watching him and averted my eyes. "What was that with the ring?"

I tried to read the look on his face, but it was locked up tight. I'd expected him to ask; I was just a little wary about how to answer him. I decided the truth was easier.

"Touching someone usually makes their thoughts clearer. I was hoping..." I trailed off and shrugged. I hadn't gotten a whisper.

"And what did you discover?" His teeth were clenched; it was my only indication that he was intensely curious as to the answer of that question.

It made me really glad I couldn't read vampire thoughts. Something told me only trouble would come from that. I sagged, a little defeated. "I got nothing. Dead men tell no tales."

Eric chuckled. "Pity."

I didn't think it was. No matter how much I'd grown to rely on my gift, should the need arise, and no matter how awful I was at reading vampire mannerisms, I was definitely grateful I couldn't read their thoughts. Of that, I was certain.

"It's enough of a burden as it is," I finally said.

"How good are your survival instincts, Sookie?"

His question started me into looking at him again. Once I realized there was no threat there, just a normal – well, vampire normal – inquisitiveness, I pondered.

I took self-defense, though with all honesty, I hoped I never had to use it in a real way. For fun, sure. If it _were_ a life or death issue, how would I _really_ fare in a fight? Did I have it in me to kill someone? If that someone was intent on killing me, I think I did. I couldn't be sure.

It was a heavier question than I realized. Eric didn't seem bothered by the fact I took so long to answer him.

"Well," I finally said, "I'm not dead yet." I turned back to the wall.

"You are a fighter," he observed.

"I take classes," I said. Was I ever going home?

"I'd like to see you fight." When I faced him again, his eyes were lit with something akin to excitement. "Observe your skills, so to speak."

"I just bet you would," I muttered. I felt like he was baiting me for something bigger. I just didn't know what. It was a struggle for me not to rise up and take a big ole fishy bite.

"In a battle against a vampire, you would lose." He said it so matter-of-fact that I couldn't get offended. Besides, it was probably true. "Or any other supernatural creature for that matter."

It wasn't as much of a shock as it should've been. Sam being a-man-who-changed-into-a-dog and all. Months ago, I probably would have had one of those dramatic sit-downs where someone tells you something impossibly huge and your legs just can't take your weight anymore.

As it was, I just sort of absorbed it to think about later. "Do you have a point you're getting at?" I was sure it was something far more poignant than survival of the fittest. I resumed my perusal of his art.

"You should wear my mark."

I didn't bother to turn to face him. "What mark? Like a stamp or something?" Then I sniggered, another thought hitting me. I'd read a vampire fiction once that used symbols in order to distinguish between families or covens. "Or a medallion of some kind?" It sounded ridiculous even as I said it.

The map framed on the wall between the bookshelves had to be really old. I wondered if it was authentic. I hadn't even noticed it on my last visit. It was something else, that was for sure.

"Not really," he said, sounding amused. "Something a bit more permanent. Something that informs others you belong to me."

_Oh boy._ I did turn to face him then, hands perfectly squared on my hips. "First of all, I do not _belong_ to you." Ludicrous. I'd let it slide earlier because something in my gut had told me to, but I didn't have to now. "Second of all, I'm not letting you tattoo me!"

Eric frowned, not even pretending to look the least bit bothered by my outrage. "Tattoo?"

Well, what else could he be talking about? A tattoo was the most permanent thing I could think of. "Your mark."

He chuckled and leaned forward, his eyebrows reaching toward the ceiling. "I didn't say anything about a tattoo either."

"Well, what then?" I asked, letting my arms fall to my sides. "Moot. Doesn't matter, because I'm not wearing it. Whatever it is."

I walked back over to the illustration, tracing my fingers along what appeared to be a legit map. Not a printed one. It looked to be handmade. Someone had drawn it.

"Don't be foolish," he spat. His hands came down on the desk, harder than I think he intended. Papers flew up in the air and a stapler rattled off the edge. I tried not to snicker. "One bite mark on your neck is a small price to pay to preserve your life."

"Bite mark!" I screeched, then tried to lower my voice. I kind of failed. "No way. No freaking way!" How the hell was that permanent anyhow? Maybe I was human, but I did heal eventually. "I'm not letting you brand me, like I'm some piece of freaking cattle. Bite mark," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I'd seen in their heads what these so-called fangbangers thought about bite marks. We weren't cut from the same cloth, the fangbangers and I.

If I were to have a bite mark on my neck, I may as well tattoo the words, "Insert Fangs Here," right underneath it. I snorted.

He made a noise as he stood to glare at me. His fists clenched as he lifted to his intimidating height. He was pretty pissed. I think he was growling.

I faced the map to keep from grinning in the face of his anger. It wasn't funny, really, it wasn't. Once I had control of my features, I twisted my neck to glare at him, bared my teeth, and growled right back. He didn't have to know I was sweating my butt off, or that I was scared out of my mind either.

He lost it then and started laughing. Which in turn made me laugh, since I'd been so close to losing it anyway. Mine was a bit more hysterical than his, admittedly, but still. Then I realized we were smiling at each other and sobered instantly.

"You're about as fierce as a kitten," he said, still chuckling.

"Don't be fooled by cats," I said with all the seriousness I could muster. "We are sneaky and devious, and you'll never see us coming. Plus, we've got really sharp claws and are known for killing things we once found entertaining."

He stared at me for a long, silent moment. I stared right back. He thought I was kidding. I wasn't. I was scared, but not without weapons. Maybe I couldn't take on a vampire in battle and win, but I'd do some serious damage on my way down.

Finally his shoulders relaxed and he sat. "You frighten me, Miss Stackhouse. You really do."

How was I supposed to take that? As a compliment, of course. I gave him my best crazy smile and curtsied. "Thank you."

"I can understand your hesitancy. You're not aware of the customs of my kind."

"You could fill me in," I said, hopeful. I doubted he would, but I'd take any insights I could get. _Know __thy enemy._

Maybe Eric wasn't an enemy, per se, but I still wasn't certain I could count him an ally either. He gave me a grin that let me know he had a pretty good idea what I was thinking.

His grin turned into a leer. "Persuade me."

I snorted. "Are you always like this?"

He frowned a little, still managing to make it look like a leer. I fidgeted with the buttons on my blouse so he wouldn't notice how much it unnerved me. I knew the look of a man thinking about sex. It was harder to ignore when it came from Eric.

I think his curiosity finally got the better of him. "Like what?"

"So..." I trailed off and waved a hand at the whole of him. I couldn't find the right word. "Sexual," came to mind, but I didn't realize I'd said it until after the fact.

Eric approached with deliberately slow steps. Bookshelves sat to either side of me. With nowhere to go, I stayed put. "Sexual, you say?"

"Oh, get off your high horse. I didn't mean it that way." He was too tall. I had to crane my neck just to look him in the eye.

"Perhaps I could persuade you."

I barked out a laugh. "Not likely." I shook my head. "I'm..." I stopped, wondering what the hell I was doing. What was I telling him?

"Dying to have sex with me?" he exclaimed.

"God, no. I don't..." I waved my hands again, helpless and flustered. My face felt hot.

He had to press. "A virgin?"

"No!" I blushed. I couldn't help it. I was so embarrassed. I wasn't a virgin, but I was only once removed. It had gone badly. Really badly. I hadn't wanted to try it again.

"What's the problem then?" His eyes traced my lips. I nearly slapped him.

What was wrong with me? I was used to this type of behavior. I worked in a bar for Christ's sake! Eric took flirting to a whole new level.

"Nothing," I said, forcing myself to turn away from him as I crossed my arms over my chest. I could still feel him like something wild standing at my back. "Let's just say you're not my type."

I peeked over my shoulder. He was closer. Too close.

His eyes lifted to mine. I think he'd been staring at my ass. "Ah," he said, as if he'd discovered something fascinating. "You prefer women."

I'm ashamed to say I squeaked. "No. I like men." _I just like them with a pulse_. I thought it. I didn't say it. Well, I suppose, even _that _wasn't completely honest. I did prefer men. I liked looking at men. Could appreciate an attractive man for his physical qualities. Being abstinent wasn't really a sexual preference or relationship status. "Why are we even talking about this?"

"You brought it up," Eric said.

No, I hadn't, had I? The last few minutes had been very confusing. "Whatever."

I was suddenly fascinated with the drawn map on his wall again. My inquisitive nature almost had me asking about it. _Curiosity killed the cat_, I thought wryly. I'd likened myself to a cat once already, but I didn't have nine lives to spare. I'd met my Eric quota for the night.

"Are we done now? Can I go?"

"Oh, we're far from done," he answered. I wasn't sure what he was implying with that, but I was sure I wouldn't like it. Not one little bit. "Before you go, I ask just one thing."

With much suspicion and trepidation, I turned around. It couldn't be good. I narrowed my eyes. He raised his eyebrows. Why wasn't he talking? "What? Did I not say that already?"

He returned to his seat behind the desk. "You did not." I made a motion with my hands for him to get on with it. "I would like to train you to fight."

It took me off guard. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. "What for?"

He shrugged and sank back into his chair. "So you can defend yourself."

"I have a trainer," I argued. Maybe this was the point he'd been trying to get to earlier, I thought. The conversation had been derailed by a freight train somewhere in the middle there.

Eric looked indulgent. "Is he a vampire?"

"Well, no, but neither am I."

"All the more reason for you to train with one," he said arrogantly.

"What?" I laughed. "So they can beat the crap out of me? Suck my blood? I don't think so."

"So you will know how to defend yourself against one should you need to." Now he was beginning to look irritated.

I didn't want there to ever be a situation where I had to fight a vampire. Truthfully, the idea of fighting one scared the ever living crap out of me. I wasn't a complete moron though. And, if I was being honest, I was slightly intrigued by the training idea.

If it was meant as a form of practice, I knew it was definitely something I could get into. I enjoyed my nights at the gym kicking ass, even if the asses did belong to rubber dummies.

Then there was Bill. My friendly neighborhood vampire. He was a shady fella, I just knew it. Still, I wasn't willing to just jump into something like that with Eric. Not without some sort of rules or guidelines.

"I'll think about it," I said after a moment. I would, too. It wasn't a bad offer. Did Eric have a hidden agenda though? That was the question I needed answered before I said yes.

"See that you do." Eric flipped open a laptop and started pressing keys almost immediately. "You're free to go."

Dismissed, I left without another word. Remembering to stop by and pick up the stack of insurance forms from Pam first, I then made my way home. I decided I would have to use a powder-based deodorant or something next time. Weapons and holsters chafed a bit after a while.

**A/N: I'm going to try and go for weekly updates on this story. Twice a week if I can manage it. If you have a special day of the week that you'd prefer me to update, drop me a line in the review and let me know.**

**Thanks so much for reading. I can't wait to read what you thought of the chapter! **

**KISSES!**


	9. Business Unusual

**A/N: Happy Holiday's to you all. I hope all of you have enjoyed time with friends and family, or however you chose to spend these past few days; I hope they were amazing and wonderful. I'm one day ahead of schedule, and I really wanted to get this up for Christmas yesterday, but that didn't work out. We got over 9 inches of snow and lost power, but it's been beautiful and full of fun.**

**As a side note real quick, I had a few of you that addressed concerns with Sookie's behavior in a few reviews. Let me just say that this Sookie and I have a bit of a love/hate relationship going on. She is not your traditional Sookie; there are issues she has. And as this is sort of a darker story, I want you to be clear that she is very out of character. This is a twisted form of the character Charlaine created, taken to a darker, less trusting, and possible more annoying place.**

**Do not misconstrue, however, there are still qualities to this Sookie that can endear you to her. She is not so hardened that she is unlikeable, at least not to me, but she is harder. This is more of a supernatural/suspense story than it is a romance, though there will be a bit of that too. To me, this is the story of Sookie learning and accepting that not all family is blood. She needs to learn to trust again; she needs to learn to live again. Sometimes, you can find family and kinship in places and people under even the most unlikely of circumstances.**

**As I've worked on pieces of the next few chapters, I want you to know that there is violence. There is blood and fighting and people trying to kill other people, possibly even succeeding. It's not a fluffy story, but I hope you're along for the ride. However, if this is not your cup of tea, I totally understand if you'd like to part ways now. No hard feelings, truly.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter has been amazing with me, helping, holding my hand at times, encouraging me, reassuring me, and also finding places I've mangled the English language. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.**

**Disclaimer: The characters belong to the amazingly talented Charlaine Harris. I've just braved to fiddle with them a bit for my own enjoyment. **

**Previously...**

"_Oh, we're far from done," he answered. I wasn't sure what he was implying with that, but I was sure I wouldn't like it. Not one little bit. "Before you go, I ask just one thing."_

_With much suspicion and trepidation, I turned around. It couldn't be good. I narrowed my eyes. He raised his eyebrows. Why wasn't he talking? "What? Did I not say that already?"_

_He returned to his seat behind the desk. "You did not." I made a motion with my hands for him to get on with it. "I would like to train you to fight."_

_It took me off guard. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. "What for?"_

_He shrugged and sank back into his chair. "So you can defend yourself."_

"_I have a trainer," I argued. Maybe this was the point he'd been trying to get to earlier, I thought. The conversation had been derailed by a freight train somewhere in the middle there._

_Eric looked indulgent. "Is he a vampire?"_

"_Well, no, but neither am I."_

"_All the more reason for you to train with one," he said arrogantly._

"_What?" I laughed. "So they can beat the crap out of me? Suck my blood? I don't think so."_

"_So you will know how to defend yourself against one should you need to." Now he was beginning to look irritated. _

_I didn't want there to ever be a situation where I had to fight a vampire. Truthfully, the idea of fighting one scared the ever living crap out of me. I wasn't a complete moron though. And, if I was being honest, I was slightly intrigued by the training idea._

_If it was meant as a form of practice, I knew it was definitely something I could get into. I enjoyed my nights at the gym kicking ass, even if the asses did belong to rubber dummies. _

_Then there was Bill. My friendly neighborhood vampire. He was a shady fella, I just knew it. Still, I wasn't willing to just jump into something like that with Eric. Not without some sort of rules or guidelines._

"_I'll think about it," I said after a moment. I would, too. It wasn't a bad offer. Did Eric have a hidden agenda though? That was the question I needed answered before I said yes._

"_See that you do." Eric flipped open a laptop and started pressing keys almost immediately. "You're free to go." _

_Dismissed, I left without another word. Remembering to stop by and pick up the stack of insurance forms from Pam first, I then made my way home. I decided I would have to use a powder-based deodorant or something next time. Weapons and holsters chafed a bit after a while._

**SPOV**

Routines are a funny thing, aren't they?

I've never been the most methodical person on the planet, I can admit that, but even _I _enjoyed having a routine. Now, that's not to say I didn't fancy being impulsive on occasion, because I did.

Usually, I had a blast when coerced into a spontaneous night out with the girls, (and by girls I mean Lafayette and Tara) dancing and letting loose. Even if it was something as simple as treating myself to Red Lobster and stuffing my face on those cheddar biscuits and butter-drowned crab legs, I quite liked to deviate from my routine once in a while.

Not always though. Not always.

It was essential for me to have something I could rely on. I needed to know when I would have time to myself, as well as when I would be squeezing every second out of each minute. I liked making a grocery list and knowing that I'd go shopping on Sunday afternoon's.

It was a comfort to me, knowing what to expect. Not everyone felt the way that I did, and that was fine. To each his own, and all that. Not all of us require the stability a routine can provide. However, I did read an article once online that begged to differ. After reading it, I was of a mind to agree.

The article was written by a student at some University – I honestly don't remember where. It was a project that this particular student completed for one of his psychology classes. To me, it legitimately could have been a scientific study – something like what you'd see featured on TV.

The student outlined his idea and how he planned to go about studying it. In the original thesis, he'd theorized that everyone, even those prone to disorder, fell into a routine. Mathematically, he proved correct.

The student was probably a genius, one of those creepy fuckers so brilliant he'd rather hang around with a computer. The way he ostensibly saw it, anything flesh and blood was far beneath his intelligence level. Even aside from the verbiage, the almost detached language of the essay, the whole project screamed PSYCHO to me. I read it anyway, so I'm not sure what that says about me.

That's beside the point.

In order for him to collect the data he needed, he, in essence, had to stalk unknowing persons and make charts of their habits. It was key, he asserted, that his "subjects" remain unaware of this surveillance. What they had for dinner. When they took their trash out. How often they got laid. He had included graphs and pie charts as well as a few other things I had a difficult time understanding in the article depicting these stats.

From those he was able to deduce that even the most sporadic of people, those most determined to _not_ follow a schedule, fell victim to some type of routine. With only twenty-four hours in a day, seven days in a week, between twenty-eight and thirty-one days in a month (depending on what month we were in) and three hundred sixty-five days in a year, there were a finite number of ways to diversify your schedule.

The student had broken all the statistics and data down, and from there he was able to make accurate predictions for what each would do from one day to the next.

I knew – though I was understandably grateful not to have been included – that if it had been _me_ he studied, I would have been no different.

When Gran was still alive, we each had routines. They intertwined a bit even though they were separate. It took me a long while after her murder to find my new swing. But I evolved. I survived. Before vampires came along, that is. After they came into my life, I did what I had to do and established another routine.

I wasn't against change, in theory, so I settled into my new schedule with as few problems as I could manage. It was a bit exhausting at first, working two separate jobs and all, but I did it.

The first week was the hardest. My sleep schedule was all screwy, so that made getting up for the early shift at Merlotte's more difficult. Then my body adjusted and so did the rest of me. I found a groove, one that worked for me, and I was comfortable with it.

Working at Fangtasia was... Well, it was fairly easy, to be honest, if a bit tiring some days.

Eric, Pam and I, and even Chow on occasion – the bar manager – fell into an easy pattern. I read, sometimes for hours on end, the patrons, the employees, and often the human "pets" of visiting vampires, minds and thoughts and intentions while they did whatever it was vampires did.

Both Pam and Eric laid off on the constant flirting after a while (sort of) – once they realized it wasn't getting them anywhere, I guess – so that was a relief. There were nights though, like the one last week, that were exhausting on a totally different level.

"Pam," I sighed, rubbing my temples. "It's a fake."

We'd been arguing for ten minutes and I was ready to scream.

"It is not. I checked it," she said. Again. She'd repeated the mantra at least six times since our squabble began.

As a rule, Pam was very adept at picking out a fake ID, but in this case she was wrong. I was trying to tell her that, but she, quite obviously, was hearing none of it. Pam refused to even consider there might be a _chance_ she was wrong.

The fake ID in question belonged to a sixteen year-old girl. She'd just finished reading _Twilight_. The vampire of her literary dreams, she envisioned, was here within these very walls. I hated to tell her, I hadn't met a vampire that sparkled, and none of these were vegetarians. I sighed again.

"What would it take for you to believe me?" I was going to wind up doing something I regretted. I just knew it.

Pam leered. She looked like a gothic fairy. I looked like a librarian. What can I say? I had to dress to conceal my arsenal. The theme at Fangtasia required _her_ to dress like an extra from _Underworld._ Quite the pair we made.

She traced the collar of my shirt, eyeing the silver cross that hung between my breasts. "Perhaps we could go to my office and discuss it."

"Ugh, God, Pam, do you _ever_ give up?" I stomped off, ready to take matters into my own hands.

I pushed my way through the crowd and approached her table. "Excuse me." The brunette gave a start when I spoke. Her smile was pretty but timid. Her eyes were an amazing green. I hated to ruin her night. "You've got to go," I said, tugging her up by her elbow.

"I'm sorry." I ignored her protests and began leading her to the door. "But I just got here," she argued. Whined really, she _was_ sixteen.

"Yes," I said over my shoulder. "And now you're leaving. Honey," I added, bringing her to a stop just at the exit, "You and I both know you're not old enough to be here."

She looked like a scared little kitten as she stuttered up at me. "B-but... Wh-what? How'd you know?"

I shook my head. "Doesn't matter how I know. What matters is that you're better than this. Go home. Talk to Heath tomorrow, give him a chance. You know you want to."

"Wh-who are you?" Her eyes were wide and wet with tears. Great, just great, I'd scared a high-schooler.

"I'm nobody. Go home. Be young and beautiful. You're a smart girl," I tried to smile but it only seemed to frighten her more. "Reach your potential."

I didn't have to do much else but nudge her. She was ready to get the hell away from me. I could only hope she listened to my advice, as corny as it may have been.

Pam was clapping as she approached. "Bravo."

"I don't know why you didn't listen to me." Pam ceased her clapping and put a hand on my shoulder. "I'm the mind reader here."

She frowned at the same time she shrugged. "I've never been wrong before." She seemed genuinely bothered by the fact that she was, too.

I only made it worse. "That _you_ know of."

Pam showed me her fangs. Her version of being friendly. Or flirty. Or frightening. Really, it was all just one face with Pam.

And just like that, I'd added to my job description. Which was fine, really. I didn't want to be in the bar if the ATF came in and we were guilty of serving a minor. I'd search for posers telepathically if it kept that from happening.

Fangtasia was mentally tiring, while at Merlotte's, it was more the physical exertion that wore me out. Merlotte's had its days, though, when it too dragged me down mentally.

Maudette Pickens had gone missing. I didn't know her that well even though we graduated the same year, but she and I were friendly each time we'd crossed paths. Andy was worried sick. They'd searched over the duplex she rented from Sam with a fine-toothed comb, turning up no results.

_Not so much as a dish out of place_, is what Andy's mind was screaming. He was having a hard time of it, which was in turn giving me a headache. _Why, oh why, did it have to be here?_ His thoughts roared.

No leads. No motives. No suspects. The only thing the Bon Temps police knew was that Maudette hadn't been seen in three days, and that last time had been at the corner grocery store at nearly eight PM. Which, if you worked in Hollywood, was enough to make a case, but in real life it was absolutely nothing to go on.

I felt for him. I really did, but I knew he wouldn't accept any help from me. I offered it anyway, because it didn't sit right on my conscience for me not to.

I reached over, despite knowing what it would do, and put my hand on Andy's shoulder, then set his burger down in front of him. "I'll keep my ears open. Whatever I can do to help."

Andy looked grateful for almost a full second before he realized exactly who I was and what my words had meant that I was doing. "You stay outta police business, Sookie Stackhouse, or I'll have you arrested."

I chuckled a little and dropped my hand, stepping back a ways. As if I could. Thoughts that weren't mine were given to me whether I wanted them or not. I could never block it all. "For what, Detective Bellefleur?"

He scowled. "For..." In his mind he was scrambling through different charges he could bring me up on. "For aiding and abetting," he proclaimed proudly.

I shook my head and walked away. It wouldn't do any good for me to say anything further. I did make myself the promise though. Andy would hate it, but he'd listen to me, damn it, if I did find something out to solve his case.

In the meantime, I figured he might be willing to accept someone else's help.

Sam and I still hadn't talked. Well, we'd _conversed_, but we'd both been avoiding the pink elephant. I approached his office hesitantly and knocked on the door frame. His door was almost never closed.

"You got a minute?"

Sam could tell something was up from the tone of my voice I suspect. He gave me a small smile as he turned and said, "Sure."

"So," I began and closed the door against prying ears, "You turn into a dog."

He laughed a little nervously. "As well as a few other things." Sam stood from his squeaky chair and approached. He spoke again before I could address what he'd just said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Sookie. It's just – "

"It's fine, Sam, really." I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I understand. I do. Believe me, if I could keep my mind reading a secret, I would." I tried to laugh it off, but it was too true to be funny.

"I should've trusted you," Sam offered.

It was kind of what I wanted to hear. Well, it was _exactly_ what I wanted to hear. I teared up.

That's what'd hurt me the most about him keeping it from me. I'd trusted him, opened up to him, even if sometimes he'd been in dog form when that happened, and he'd misled me. He'd abused my trust by not trusting me in turn.

I pulled him into a hug. He returned it. "You should have," I said against his shoulder. "But I forgive you."

"I don't deserve it," Sam said as he pulled out of the hug.

There was a bit of an awkward moment there where I think he might have wanted to kiss me. I was too scared to listen to his thoughts. His emotions were frightening enough. I stepped back and put distance between us. Sam and I? We'd never work out.

"Just don't expect to be sleeping at the foot of my bed again," I joked.

"Fair enough," Sam laughed.

That solved, I quickly moved on to something else. Something I was sure Sam, as a hound of sorts, could help with. "So, what can we do to help Maudette?"

Sam shook his head and sat down again. "I'm not sure. Andy's a hard ass."

That was for damn sure. "He won't let me do anything," I sighed, feeling a little deflated. "Is there something you... or your _other_ you, could, I don't know, sniff out?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"I know that you'd be putting yourself out there." I knew what kind of risks I was asking Sam to take, and given how hard it had been for him to trust me, I knew it was going to be damn near impossible for him to trust anyone else. "Maybe you could just check it out? See what you find?"

"Yeah," he agreed with a nod. His fear was as evident as the red in his hair. As much as he wanted to help, he didn't want to air his laundry to do it.

I tried to reassure him. "If you get nothing," I shrugged. "Then you get nothing. But if you get something, I don't know, we can talk about it. Try to come up with a way to let the authorities know."

"Alright. Yeah." He suddenly looked more determined. "After closing tonight, I'll go 'round, see what I can dig up. Figuratively speaking."

"Then we'll talk tomorrow. One way or another. Oh, I'm off tomorrow," I said, having forgotten. "Just call me if you find anything."

"Good. Yeah. Thanks, Sookie," Sam said smiling fully. "I feel better now. Now that you know and all."

"Me too," I said. "Now you need to explain what you said earlier."

What had he meant by other things? I was still reeling even after he explained it. Sam, if circumstances were right, could turn into _any_ being. Animal. Insect. Bird. As impossible as that in itself sounded, it couldn't be simplified by looking at a picture either.

From the way Sam told it, he had to imprint on an animal in some way, connect to them at a cellular level, then, whatever magic made a person a shifter, that would allow him to duplicate the creature. He was a copycat, really. So weirdly creepy and awesome.

He also explained how his original form, the collie formerly known as Dean, was always the easiest and most natural change for him. That was, essentially, his second skin. It was all very cool, but also very confusing. It was hard to wrap my head around.

I did my best to take it in stride, but then I thought about how strange it was that I never saw Dean and Tina, the stray cat, at the same time, and got suspicious all over again. What if Dean _was_ Tina?

When I asked Sam about it, he laughed so hard he was red in the face. His eyes were still watering when he assured me that, no, Tina was just a regular ole kitty cat.

I believed him and took her inside with me that night when I got home. When I got up to go to the gym the next morning, I let her out. At least I hadn't lost _all_ my nighttime friends. I needed someone to keep me company sometimes.

Bill came by that night while I was out, as he'd taken to doing so often nowadays. He made a habit of coming by at least once during the week, on my evenings off, and twice if I so happened to have two days off.

Each time he'd bring a flower of some kind. At first, I'd tossed them in the trash without a second thought. Then I realized that was silly. They were flowers, free air freshener and pretty decorations I could set about the house, so I kept them in vases.

We would talk, not about much of anything, and though he'd alluded to one, I'd yet to extend him an invitation into my home. Instead, Bill would be stuck on my porch while I hovered in the doorway, offering him enough conversation until I could think up a reason to kindly excuse myself.

I wasn't sure I trusted his visits, and I'd thought about talking to Eric or Pam about it. Then I figured it wasn't really important enough to mention, at least not yet. If Bill ever did anything out of the ordinary, I'd change my mind.

So, that next afternoon when I got back from the gym and I still had no message from Sam, I decided I'd be conveniently absent for Bill's routine nightly visit.

They were offering a free weapons class at my gym that night. I wasn't too tired, even after a two hour work-out, for that. I'd taken a few – I was pretty good with throwing knives and I'd taken an almost embarrassing liking to the Sai – but one could never have enough practice.

It gave me something to look forward to when my trainer informed me he was thinking of adding the weapons class as a regular part of his schedule. I encouraged him wholeheartedly. I still hadn't taken Eric up on his offer of "vampire combat training," so I was eager to take whatever else I could until I made a decision there.

The next evening was Sunday and it was my night to work at Fangtasia. I'd talked to Sam that morning, who was still continuing to search for clues for Maudette's missing persons case. He was disappointed he hadn't found anything yet, but he wasn't giving up.

I was feeling a little irritated myself since I hadn't _heard_ anything either, which is probably why I noticed Eric was in a mood. I had spent most of the night trying my damnedest to avoid him. Of course, my attempts were a big fat failure.

Eric had talked me into sitting in on another of his vampire meetings. This one, though, had a human companion, so that's how I'd rationalized it to myself. Not that it would have mattered anyway; Eric could have forced me to do it. Being my boss and all, he kind of had the authority.

I'd proven useless, again, since the human was glamoured out of his mind. I took a resentment to that, but Eric had reminded me with a harsh whisper that it wasn't the time. Which only pissed me off more.

After meeting the vampire, who just happened to be passing through (thank goodness for that) and wanted to pay his respects to Eric (la-de-freaking-da), and committing another faux pas, I was ready to go. Eric insisted I stay.

"What is it with you vampires anyhow? You don't even offer the courtesy of shaking hands?"

It was annoying to me. And rude, which I supposed was a little absurd for me to think considering I was dealing with vampires. But I just didn't get it, or why everyone I ever met seemed to take such offense to it.

"It's a tradition only began in the last few hundred years," was how Eric defended it. "Many of the oldest of our kind simply do not understand the custom."

I could get that, but... "He was very obviously young."

"Yes, well, there are other, more selfish reasons, to avoid touching another vampire," he said evenly. The look on his face said he didn't want to go further, but the one on _my_ face solicited it. "For instance, skin-to-skin contact can go a long way to gauge a possible foe's strength and age."

_Aha_, okay, that made sense. "That's understandable," I allowed, even if I could never fully understand what that entailed. "But surely it would be accepted amongst friends, right? I'm very obviously no threat to a vampire, two years old or two thousand, so why is it you all look at me like I've got cooties when I try to shake hands?"

Eric laughed and paced around his office. He was indulging me, I knew it. I could also sense a tension in him that I wasn't accustomed to seeing. I didn't know what was bothering him, but something was. I knew better than to ask.

"All of my kind are potential threats, Sookie," he finally said. "Even a friend can turn enemy, given the right circumstances. To trust a vampire is to ask for death, even for one such as I."

That was so... sad. Given, I wasn't the most prone to trusting people. Any person, really, but I had those I could rely on in different situations if I needed to. To some degree at least. It must be so lonely, I thought.

I sighed, trying to force myself not to feel so sympathetic toward Eric. If I gave him any door, he'd walk right through it, damn the hinges. Very opportunistic, Eric was.

Despite my attempts, the conversation had softened me some. I walked over to the map on his office wall. "Did you draw this?" I'd been dying to ask since I noticed it. I felt the need to connect with him. Maybe it was my human nature that convinced me _Eric_ needed to connect with someone.

I felt him, as I so often did, approach. Like it or not, _touching_ or not, Eric had a presence about him. Even I couldn't deny that. He stopped, just shy of contact, at my back. If I'd gotten any closer to the wall, I would have been kissing it. One of these days I was going to stop putting myself between walls and Eric.

"I did," he said softly. I could feel his breath in my hair. I tried not to shiver, but I might've, just a little. "Long ago."

He reached around to trace its frame with one long finger. "It's amazing," I whispered, awed. It was, but Eric also made me very uncomfortable, so I blamed the shake in my voice on that. I was determined though. "Where is this?"

"This," he started, leaning closer. His profile was in my peripheral. He touched the map briefly. "This was once my home."

"Wow," I breathed. "You really are a Viking." I'd heard rumors, of course, but thought little of them. Rumors are usually just that. Started as a truth, but turned into something else entirely. "How old are you, Eric?"

"Old enough," was all he said. His finger continued a path, along one side of land, then through a body of water. "The North Sea." He looped further down, briefly touching the land opposite, before making his way back to the spot where he began. "I was fourteen when I first went a viking."

I had a feeling he'd just showed me where, exactly, he had gone. I was too surprised to speak, let alone move.

"I missed the next." His hand drew another line, this one further than the last. "My brothers did not return." He dropped his hand.

"I'm..." I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. The urge to turn around and offer him a comforting touch was nearly undeniable. It would have opened a door I wasn't ready for, though, I knew that. "I'm sorry, Eric," I finally said.

"It was long ago," he said. In anyone else, I would have expected to hear the sadness in their tone. Eric's was strangely empty. It made me feel badly. I didn't cry for him though. Not exactly.

He was still close. Too close, and showed no indication he'd be moving anytime soon. Maybe, I thought, he drew some comfort from me. We weren't touching, but selfishly, perhaps a bit conceitedly, I thought he might be soothed simply by the nearness. Not necessarily of _me_, but someone. It just happened to be me who was there. I stayed still.

It was a nice moment, one of a quiet peace in another persons company. Of course, Eric just had to go and ruin it by opening his big, fangy mouth.

His voice was a whisper. "Your smell is intoxicating, Sookie."

"Eric," I warned, closing my eyes.

I felt his fingers in my hair, moments before he slid the weight of it over my shoulder. "You should wear your hair down more often. I find I rather like the teasing glimpses I get of your succulent neck."

"God, Eric," I sighed. "You just had to spoil it, didn't you?" I turned to face him, pushing him away with the palm of my hand. If he hadn't allowed it, I knew he wouldn't have budged an inch. "Couldn't just let it be what it was, huh?"

He stepped back, palms up. "It was a simple observation, woman. You're the one who misconstrued it."

I snorted. "Yeah, uh-huh. Whatever." I walked toward the door, looking at him over my shoulder expectantly. "Are we done?"

His face was instantly harder, the look in his eyes promised me harm. "Did you think we were having a moment, Sookie? Hmm? Is that what has you so riled?"

I had, but I'd been an idiot for it. That was for sure. I said nothing.

"Do not mistake me for anything other than what I am," he half growled. "I am first and foremost a vampire. I do what is in my nature to do."

Like I could forget it when Eric had his fangs in my face every five seconds. "Got it," I said through my teeth. "I won't make the same mistake again."

"Good," he bit out.

"Fine," I snapped, reaching for the knob.

"Wonderful," he added, just as I swung the door open.

Eric was one of those last word guys. I let him have it, but I slammed the door behind me as I left. It spoke more than words. Eric didn't want to hear anything I had to say right then. I was sane – just barely – enough to hold my tongue. Of all the nasty things I was thinking, none of them would have allowed me to leave alive.

Our verbal sparring typically stayed in a safer zone, but sometimes it swerved toward dangerous in the same breath. I had just enough smarts to myself to bite my tongue when that happened. Eric was a killer; of that I was certain. He'd also probably killed folks for far less than getting cheeky with him.

I was angrier than a snake by the time I made it home. Almost angry enough to turn my ass back around and face the threat of Eric's wrath just so I could give him a piece of my mind. _Infuriating son-of-a-bitch._

I sat in the car after I'd shut of the ignition, willing myself to calm. It's not like what had happened with Eric wasn't a regular thing. Well, maybe nothing quite exactly like _that_, but he often found ways to piss me off. Or I him, if I was being honest.

It just seemed to be affecting me, for reasons that eluded me, far more than it ever did.

Which is why I blame the attack on Eric. I'd been distracted.

Once I finally had a reign on my emotions, I tossed my cell in my purse and wrapped its strap over my head and off to one shoulder. Then I fiddled with my keys until I had the right one between my fingers. It was what I'd done since I'd "heard" the vampires in my yard.

I never got out of the car until I was ready to bolt. I swung open the door, ready to do just that, slammed it behind me and took off at a sprint. Maybe it was silly, but I didn't want to take any chances that I'd be blind-sided. I tried to get into the house, safe beyond whatever magic held vampires away, as swiftly as possible.

The hit came from the side.

Vampire.

I hadn't seen, nor heard, it coming because I'd forgotten to listen. All because of Eric! I slammed into a tree, hard enough to rattle my brain and lose the edges of my vision. I screamed in frustration. Maybe a little bit in pain too, but my anger over rode what little I felt.

This fucker was _SO_ not part of my routine, damn it!

There was a whoosh of air and I was suddenly standing, a little wobbly, away from the tree. A blur buzzed in front of me, coming to focus as the vampire slowed enough for my eyes to catch.

"You smell delicious," a male voice purred.

I got a flash of fang, swinging hair that looked a lot like dreadlocks, and tattered clothes covered in filth. My pulse sped. This wasn't like any vampire I'd encountered yet. There was something feral, something wild, in the black eyes that stared back at me.

And his words? His words had me seething. It was the second time I'd heard such a compliment – for I had no doubt that was the way a vampire viewed it – that night and it fueled my raging fire.

"Fucking vampire," I cursed.

He flashed in front of me, and I gave a start. "Mmm," he purred. His fangs were sharp as needles, his face gaunt. He looked, even to my eyes, hungry. I swallowed. "Fucking human."

He lunged. I screamed but it was too late. His teeth sank into my neck.

**A/N: EEP! I know, I know. A cliffy. I promise, promise, promise to update as soon as I can. Thank you so much for reading. I do hope you'll take the time to review. What do you think will happen? **

**I can't wait yo see what you guys think. Thank you in advance. See you soon.**

**KISSES!**


	10. Hungry Vampire for One Thousand

**A/N: Thanks so much for all the reviews for the last chapter. You guys are amazing. Happy New Year to you all. I hope 2013 is a great year for each of you.**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter is wonderful support. I cannot thank her enough!**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the characters. She also makes the money.**

**Previously...**

_It just seemed to be affecting me, for reasons that eluded me, far more than it ever did. _

_Which is why I blame the attack on Eric. I'd been distracted._

_Once I finally had a reign on my emotions, I tossed my cell in my purse and wrapped its strap over my head and off to one shoulder. Then I fiddled with my keys until I had the right one between my fingers. It was what I'd done since I'd "heard" the vampires in my yard._

_I never got out of the car until I was ready to bolt. I swung open the door, ready to do just that, slammed it behind me and took off at a sprint. Maybe it was silly, but I didn't want to take any chances that I'd be blind-sided. I tried to get into the house, safe beyond whatever magic held vampires away, as swiftly as possible. _

_The hit came from the side. _

_Vampire._

_I hadn't seen, nor heard, it coming because I'd forgotten to listen. All because of Eric! I slammed into a tree, hard enough to rattle my brain and lose the edges of my vision. I screamed in frustration. Maybe a little bit in pain too, but my anger over rode what little I felt._

_This fucker was SO not part of my routine, damn it!_

_There was a whoosh of air and I was suddenly standing, a little wobbly, away from the tree. A blur buzzed in front of me, coming to focus as the vampire slowed enough for my eyes to catch._

"_You smell delicious," a male voice purred._

_I got a flash of fang, swinging hair that looked a lot like dreadlocks, and tattered clothes covered in filth. My pulse sped. This wasn't like any vampire I'd encountered yet. There was something feral, something wild, in the black eyes that stared back at me._

_And his words? His words had me seething. It was the second time I'd heard such a compliment – for I had no doubt that was the way a vampire viewed it – that night and it fueled my raging fire._

"_Fucking vampire," I cursed._

_He flashed in front of me, and I gave a start. "Mmm," he purred. His fangs were sharp as needles, his face gaunt. He looked, even to my eyes, hungry. I swallowed. "Fucking human."_

_He lunged. I screamed but it was too late. His teeth sank into my neck._

**SPOV**

Being as fortuitous as I am, the vampire didn't latch on for long. He took several deep pulls, enough to make me feel woozy, and then staggered back.

Unfortunately for me, I knew he was far from done.

I'd only get one shot, and I had to make the best of it. While he _oohed_ and _aahed_, going on and on about how tasty I was, I started fumbling around in my purse. I had a stake in there with Hungry Vampire Number One's name written all over it.

I didn't dare look away as I searched. It didn't matter to me how unfocused his eyes were, I knew that if I dropped mine, for even a second, to look in my purse, it would cost me my life.

Blood dripped from his open mouth, running down his chin. He moaned. My heart thundered in my ears. I kept digging. It was somewhere. _Fuck_. Where was it?

"I will drain you," he rasped, his eyes focusing once more.

I froze, one hand in my purse, the other clenched at my side. Could I move fast enough to punch him? Would that even do any good? His hand ran down the front of his tattered shirt, stopping to rub harder against the front of his pants.

Fear made me catch my breath. I had to hurry. I scrambled deeper, searching blindly. I did _not_ want to know what was going through his mind right then. I certainly didn't want to wait around and find out what death could be worse than a simple draining. His eyes screamed of a different horror.

"After I fuck you," he purred, confirming my fears. "I will drink every last, delicious drop of you."

He attacked again and I doubled my efforts, finally allowing my eyes to join the search. This time, he seemed content with licking blood from my neck. It had dripped down enough to soak the front of my shirt. He noticed and groped my breasts. I swallowed bile.

Adrenaline pumped faster than the blood in my veins. It made me sloppy. His keen eyes picked up on my rummaging. _Shit._

"What are you looking for, I wonder?"

I couldn't help it, really. As soon as he'd snatched the purse over my head, nearly dislocating my shoulder in the process, the tears started to fall. I was shaking, seconds away from hyperventilating. I fell to the ground, defeated, as he pulled away from me again.

All my training, all my hard work, and in the face of danger, when the threat was as real as the air in my lungs, I still felt powerless. I would not be helpless. I would not.

My eyes met his when he stilled five feet in front of me. My purse was clutched in one hand, his eyes were delighted and curious as his right hand dove in with a rough shove. I forced myself up. First to my hands and knees, and then finally, unsteadily, to my feet.

If these were my last minutes, I was going to make the best of them. The wind rustled my hair, as if encouraging me.

"Hey," I called. He ignored me, tossed my wallet onto the gravel. A tube of lipstick followed. "Stupid vampire," I sang, drawing out the words to taunt. I slipped my right hand into my pocket and cocked my hip, concealing movement.

"Aha," he exclaimed, slowly pulling out my wooden stake and giving it a dramatic toss into the air. "What were you going to do, little one? Did you think you could stab me?" Toss, catch. My eyes narrowed. "Thought you would save yourself, eh?"

He took two, slow steps toward me and grinned. His teeth were dripping with blood. My blood. I nearly screamed. "It'd crossed my mind," I answered through my teeth. If I opened them any further I feared I'd lose it.

The vampire laughed, as if he could read the fear in my eyes. Perhaps he could. "You, little human, couldn't kill me. I am vampire," he proclaimed, his arms flaring out to his sides. I eyed the stake in his hand.

"Well, duh," I said. My fingers brushed steel. _Distract him_, my mind screamed, _in any way you can_. "Otherwise, I'd have just kicked your ass."

I'd been smart. Though it had seemed almost blasphemous as I'd done it, I had taken a pair of scissor to my new pants and cut the pockets right out of them. It allowed me easier access to my thigh holsters. Not all my stakes were in my purse.

I'd have to get lucky. _Really_ lucky. I was weakened from the loss of blood that only made him stronger.

"Duh?" he laughed. The stake spun in rapid circles as he approached. "Duh, she says. Kick my ass, she says. Sassy mouth, girl, let's see if the rest of you is just as sassy."

He reached forward, quick as a snake, and ripped the front of my shirt open, buttons flew and I gasped. My grip shifted, tightened, on my weapon. I forced myself to breathe deep. I could feel myself shaking. I focused inwardly, seeking that place inside, the place where I went when I fought.

Gran's killer was there. I raged. A quiet storm that brewed with each breath I took filled my limbs. I could feel them strain against the blood loss. My muscles tensed. My eyes focused.

The vampire reached for the front of my bra. I think he'd intended to tear it off me, but his hand brushed against my silver cross. He hissed. I heard his skin sizzle and took a small delight in the sound. I smiled.

"Bitch," he hissed again, blood and saliva dripped from his teeth as he yanked his hand away.

I steeled myself to move. This was it, my one moment, I might not get the chance again. The wood slid out of the holster. It was custom made, with a silver-plated grip, and it fit the palm of my hand like a glove. It felt like salvation in my palm.

The vampire eyed his now-burned hand, flicked them back to me. Back and forth. I took another breath. _Now. Move now._

Just as my hand jerked to strike, he growled, raising his arm in a strike of his own. He was faster.

Wood speared my shoulder and I doubled over in pain, crying out. My vision swam. Stars prickled in the darkness as I tried to push myself back upright. I sagged forward once more, nearly falling to my knees. Not yet.

The agony was debilitating, and I'm certain my attacker took pleasure in my pained gasps.

Breathe it out. Breathe through it.

I'd trained for this. I'd taken beatings, taken pain, I knew I didn't have to, just because I wanted to know how it felt. I'd have bruises for weeks sometimes after a good, hard session in combat. I'd been conditioning my body to perform despite injury. Never had I experienced anything as sharp as a shard of wood through my body, but the idea was the same.

Pain is life. I still had some left. I forced myself to stand.

Throbbing and constant, the stake in my arm made my muscles scream to give in. To give up. I would pass out, I knew it. I'd lost too much blood. If the spots in my vision were any indication, I didn't have long.

I searched for my would-be killer.

He'd moved away again. Standing just out of reach, excitement lit those crazy eyes. He laughed as I struggled to stay vertical. Something was screaming. Oh, it was me.

I yanked my hand out of my pocket, ripping the fabric of my pants. The stake soared with a flick of my wrist. I'd aimed as best as my eyes would allow. I could only hope it flew true.

"Fuck you," I screamed. Over and over.

Shock, and then fear, animated his face as it struck. It was luck really. Even, as much as I'd practiced the art, I knew that's what it was. At my best, maybe I would have hit the target, bulls-eye, dead center of his unbeating heart. At my worst? Injured as I was, I hadn't thought I had a chance.

"No," he wailed, yanking the stake out of his chest. It fell to the gravel and landed near my wallet.

I stopped screaming, finally, as his eyes lost animation, watching with a grim sort of fascination as his skin aged and wrinkled. Bones jutted from his cheeks, his lips thinned and then disappeared, leaving nothing but a wide scream of teeth. Pearly skin changed to black and leathery. His eyes disappeared.

His clothes sagged and the body collapsed, turning to dust as it hit the ground. It made me choke. I breathed in death.

I fell then, face first onto my driveway. Dirt and vampire remains floated around me. I tried, but couldn't get my arms out in time to catch my weight. Rocks bit into my cheek. I'd lived only long enough to die. I closed my eyes.

When I woke again, I was flying. I think I was. Eric's eyes were in the clouds.

Why was he here? Couldn't I at least find peace in heaven? "Here?" I whispered. Was that my voice? It sounded so distant. Was he even really there?

I heard thunder. No, that's not right. Eric was laughing. The sound moved like waves through the hazy sky. It made me dizzy.

"I was in the neighborhood." his voice echoed. It was far away, yet all around me, and I tried to latch onto it. "What kind of trouble have you gotten into now?"

My eyelids were heavy as I pried them open again. "Killed," I rasped. "Vampire. Dead."

I felt him inhale. I'm not sure how. Thunder crashed in my head. My entire left side pulsed with the sluggish beats of my heart. Eric growled. "You killed a vampire?"

One eye opened, and I tried to lift a fist but my arm weighed a ton. "To the victor," I rasped, "go the spoils." I'm not sure what I meant. The vampire was dust, and I was well on my way to worm food. I'd be getting no spoils.

I think Eric chuckled. Something warm touched my forehead. I think it was his lips. "Good for you," I heard on a whisper. Some part of me realized that if a vampire kiss was warm, then I was in a heap of trouble. I was out again.

Something shook me awake. "Invite me in." Or _someone._

"What?" Dying sucked. It took too long.

"I can heal you, but we must get inside. Invite me in."

Oh, okay. Whatever. I knew I was a lost cause. Since I was dying anyway, I didn't think it would matter much. "Please... In..." It was the best I could do. I didn't know if it would work. I slept.

Maybe it was the intent that mattered, I thought as I dreamt. In that case, could I have royally screwed myself just by _thinking_ vampires could come into my house and kill me in my sleep? Could my fear have made the intention real? Would that have invited them in, subconsciously?

My breathing sped, and my chest ached. A voice spoke in the darkness. I tried to focus on it, to understand it, but everything felt so unreal. Was someone crying? It sounded so incredibly sad, so full of hurt.

"Hold on," a deep timbre commanded. It spoke further saying, "almost there," then expressed fears that I would kill him one day. I hated to ruin his day. The dead couldn't kill.

I think we moved.

Something wet touched my neck. Over and over, I felt it caress. Soft as a feather, occasionally something else would replace the gentle stroke. It felt kind of like Tina as she licked me awake some mornings. Only this tongue was much less scratchy.

Warmth made my neck feel tingly, and I distantly remembered being bitten there. Once, long ago. In another life, I think.

I picked up words, as if on the wind, after that. They warned, "this is going to hurt," explaining he "had to," but he was, "sorry." It told me to brace myself because the "stake," had to be "removed."

On some level, I must've understood. I felt my body being lifted and simultaneously held down. When a sudden torrent of fire sliced through my shoulder I screamed myself awake.

Something ripped. My fingers held fabric.

I lashed out with the arm that felt lightest. A satisfying crunch filled my ears as my fist made contact. I cried and cursed. The pain was too much to think around.

Eric's face was in my sights again. His nose was crooked and bloody. His shirt was covered in it. That, I thought, was mine. "Fuck you," I yelled over and over. "Fuck you. This is your fault."

"Shh," he crooned. "Hold still." His eyes were wide. I caught a glimpse of fang. He ripped my shirt away. "This will hurt for only a moment." When his face disappeared, I recognized my room.

I was bleeding all over my good sheets. If Gran were alive, she'd kill me all over.

Sharp and stabbing, something once again pierced my shoulder. I screamed and tried to scramble away from it. A hand clamped over my mouth. I took a chunk out of it and held on. Something thick and sweet covered my tongue. I kept my teeth in Eric's bleeding hand. It gave me something besides pain to focus on.

I thought I'd lost my vision until I opened my eyes.

Eric lifted his face. It had been his mouth on my shoulder wound; it was bloody. His nose was once again perfectly straight. What the hell was he doing? Eating me? Vampires really were sick fucks.

"Hold still," he ordered.

His lips were red with my hemoglobin. He looked like a monster. I bit down harder; his face pinched in pain, his eyes closed. He shifted, pressing with the weight of his body to hold me still. I struggled harder.

"I have to clean it," he snapped. "My saliva will stop the bleeding. Hold still, woman." I dug my nails into his back and tried to rip him away. "Damn it, Sookie, stop that," he growled.

A voice whispered in the back of my mind. I think the enjoyment Eric derived from my attempts to maim him far outweighed the discomfort he felt. I ceased. His blood coated my throat.

His eyes managed to look both strained and relieved as he said, "Thank you."

The top of his head was all I could see as his mouth moved to the gaping hole in my shoulder again. "Get it over with," I choked. If he was going to kill me, he didn't have to take his sweet precious time about it. "Just do it already."

I think he laughed. It sounded like a snarl.

Something changed then. My pulse sped and I felt warmth work its way from my belly to my arms and legs. It sizzled like a fire, burning a path through my limbs and torso. Eric's blood was doing something; I didn't know what, but I didn't like it.

"Almost done," he said against my shoulder. The inferno burned the hottest there. "My blood will help."

Help? It was only making things worse. I squirmed to get away. Eric's weight wouldn't allow me an inch. "Stop it. Please. Stop it." My voice was but a whimper.

Suddenly, the Hell blazing through my veins ceased, leaving an itchy sensation in its place. Eric leaned back, his expression satisfied. "Give it a moment."

He stood from my bed and walked into the bathroom. A glowing light came from the room and I heard the water come on. I assessed myself. I was alive. God, I was alive! How was I alive?

I looked down. My shirt was gone, my bra strap broken. My once white bra was now blood red. My pants were ripped down one side. The tattered fabric lay in strings beside my hands. I'd ripped my own pants.

I stared at the hole in my shoulder. Then stared some more. My mouth fell open. What had Eric done to me?

As I watched, the skin moved, stitching and growing new and pink, sealing the fleshy cavity closed. Oh, God, what was going on? I sat up. I sat up! I touched the tender skin. Solid. Pink, but solid. I scrabbled for my neck. It was the same.

"Oh, God!" I cried.

Eric came back into the room, smiling. "Much better."

I jumped back, covering my breasts with one arm, and bumped into the headboard. "What have you done?" I screeched.

I was a vampire. I just knew it. Eric had made me a vampire. Oh my God, there was no way I could get a tan now. Or swim in the sun. _No. No. No._ I think I wished he'd killed me instead.

"I healed you," was all Eric offered. His shirt was ripped in places and covered in blood. His face was clean, and he was drying his hands on the towel Gran had embroidered with my initials for my thirteenth birthday. It was meant for décor. "You'll be fine now."

"Fine?" I wailed. "Fine? You made me a vampire!"

Eric barked out a laugh. "What?" He stepped closer and I curled in on myself, pressing tight against the bed. It creaked in protest. He shook his head. "You're not a vampire, Sookie."

Relief made me release a breath. Tension fell from my shoulders. "I'm not?" My voice sounded like a child, even to my own ears.

"No," Eric assured as he moved hesitantly and sat on the edge of my bed. "You're still you."

"I am?" I touched myself. My arms. My neck. My shoulder. Something, I was sure, had dislocated there when that vampire stabbed me. I rubbed it in circles. Not even a twinge. I felt my chest. A rapid knocking beat against my palm. Heart beat. "But how?" My wide eyes met his.

"My blood," he replied stiffly. "There are healing properties that can benefit the injured, as well as other things not so beneficial." His eyes shifted away.

"Like what?" I asked. What the hell was his blood going to do to me? Don't get me wrong, I was happy to be alive, but if I was going to suddenly grow fangs or sprout an extra head, I think I preferred the alternative.

"Later," Eric said as he stood again. The bed shifted without his weight, and I suddenly felt heavy. "You will need much rest."

Terror gripped me as he moved to the door. I grappled for his shirt, snagging it and pulling him to a stop. My lungs were struggling to keep up with the speed of my breaths. What if there were more of them out there? What if they came for me as I slept? I didn't think I was up to another life or death fight, even if I was miraculously healed.

I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want to ask him to stay.

Eric seemed to recognize my fear, my internal conflict. He loosed my fingers from his shirt and gave my hand a squeeze. "I will stay until I can no longer." He dropped my hand and moved to the chair at my vanity.

"I..." My lips pressed together. I didn't know what to say.

Pulling the sheets up, I settled in the bed. As much as I wanted to shower, I didn't think I could handle it just yet. My skin felt sensitive and raw. Even the hair follicles on my scalp felt prickly. I didn't want to explain anything to Eric right then. I was a mess; it was enough of a struggle for me that he was seeing that.

"Thanks," I said finally. I laid down, my eyes closing. "Thanks for saving me," I whispered and then I slept.

I awoke with a scream in my throat. Eric was instantly there, highlighted by the glowing light from the bathroom. "What is wrong?"

It had been a dream. Only a dream. The vampire was there. Only this time, instead of draining me, he was chewing on my Gran's neck. Fear had me frozen as I watched her death all over again. My brother was there, too, just as I remembered him. A young boy. I watched him suckled as a baby by my monstrous attacker. My parents followed.

"_I saved the best for last,"_ the man had cooed. I'd screamed.

I couldn't save them. I couldn't save any of them. I wailed. I couldn't breathe.

Eric's face swam in warbles through my tears. His hands touched my cheeks. "You are safe," he said, over and over. "You are safe."

I don't know what came over me. I liked to blame the whole bizarre night. The dream. The vampire. The fact that I was pretty sure I'd died, only for him to bring me back to life. I'd died! I needed something to remind me I was well and truly alive. I lunged.

Eric fell to my bed, surprised at my assault. I straddled him, gripping the collar of his shirt, before my lips adhered to his. I used my teeth to pry his mouth open and shoved my tongue in. I'd barely taken a breath. I'd moved with an agility and speed I'd never had before.

He tasted sweeter than his blood. God, what was wrong with me?

I forced myself to stop thinking. Eric's fingers clenched at my sides, digging into my ribs, and then he was suddenly kissing me back. I fought just as hard, pressing my mouth more firmly against his. The sharp bone of his chin dug into mine.

He sat up, bringing me with him. His arms circled my back, holding me closer. My fingers dug into his shoulders. Our mouths continued in a frenzy. It was sloppy and wet, and just what I'd needed. I moaned for more.

His fingers, long and sure, slipped beneath the clasp of my bra. It ripped away easily. I gasped and pulled back enough to push my now bare breasts in his face. Eric snarled and latched onto one nipple. And still I begged for more.

I felt so much. His slight breaths against my skin. My breasts were heavy and my nipples hard. His skin was cool to my hot. I was burning and shivering all at once. I clawed him closer and felt the blunt edges of his teeth against my flesh.

"Harder," I urged. "Harder."

He obliged, and I cried out, then shoved him away with both hands. The nerves that lay beneath my skin felt like a power line brought down in a storm. It was all too much, and yet not enough. I moved against him, grinding the hardness of him where I ached. Just once. Then again. We both made noises.

I met Eric's stare. His eyes were dark with need. Mine, I'm sure, were the same. I licked my lips and went in for more, only to draw up short at the sight of his fangs. His lips parted, opening. The memories were too fresh, the fear too real.

Horror overwhelmed me. Irrational though it was – I knew Eric hadn't attacked me, hadn't tried to kill me – I still felt I should run from him. I stumbled and fell in my haste to get away. I crawled backwards to the wall. "Get out," I croaked. "Get out of my house. Now."

"Sookie," Eric called. "It is I. You are safe."

Like I didn't know who he was! He was still a vampire. Still a monster. "Get out," I screamed. When I hit the wall, I used it to help me stand. "I take back my invitation. I take it back. Leave!"

I watched, with a mixture of relief and panic, as the magic pulled him from my room. I followed as he backed down the hall and through the living room. His face was fierce, his eyes called for death. Desire remained, hardly leashed. I could practically taste his hunger on my tongue.

He looked furious as he neared the door. He looked beautiful. I wanted to kiss him again. I wanted to call him back. I wanted to kick his teeth in. I wanted to punish that lustful look in his eyes with my fists.

_Don't leave me alone._

I felt my nails in my palm as I stared. Eric said nothing as he was forced from my house. I waited for him to speak, but he stayed quiet. His expression said enough. It said it all. I didn't listen to what it said. I felt tears in my eyes.

I could still hear him in my yard as I closed the door. I didn't dare peek outside for fear of what I'd do. My emotions were a jumble, my thoughts an even bigger mess. The hurricane of confusion storming inside of me made me nauseous. I dry-heaved.

I looked down at my half-naked self in disgust. My pants were ruined, my shirt and bra long gone. I was covered in bits of dried blood and dirt. I still had shoes on, and I could feel the gravel inside them digging into the soles of my feet.

I stripped down to nothing and left what remained in a pile on the floor, walking as if by someone else's will to the shower. When I was clean, I wrapped myself in a towel and took the bloody sheets off my bed.

I grabbed the remains of my shirt off the floor, then went to the living room and tossed my soiled clothes in with my pile. I stuffed them all into the garbage and went back to the living room. After stopping by the hall closet, I went to the couch.

I sat down, propped my shot gun on the coffee table and sighed. I felt numb. I laid down and slept. It was fitful, but at least I didn't dream.

The next time I opened my eyes, it was to the sight of sunlight streaming through the windows. I squinted and stretched, expecting a kink from how I'd slept on the too-short couch.

I wiggled my fingers and cranked my neck to the side. Nothing. Not so much as a pinch or ache. I stood, waiting for the yawn. It didn't come. I felt more rested than I had in a long time. I looked at the clock on the mantle. It was only eight.

God, but I felt good.

Looking down, I noticed I was still in my towel and nothing else. I was surprised it'd hung on through the night.

The hall closet held my only set of spare sheets. They were flannel, but I grabbed them anyway and took them to my room. After making my bed, I put on a pair of shorts and a tank top.

I still had a few hours until I was due at Merlotte's and I was going to make the best of them. Also, I planned to see how much energy I _really_ had. I felt like a million bucks! I tucked my cell phone into my pocket and stuck the headphones in the slot. Knotting my hair back, I plugged in my buds. The rockabilly sound of Volbeat flooded my ears. I was going for a run.

I stopped by the fridge to grab a bottle of water and then set out down the road.

While I jogged at an easy, steady pace, I propelled my thoughts through the events of the previous night. They felt strangely foreign, as if they'd happened years and not hours ago. Or like it'd all been some weird movie I'd watched once upon a time.

I kind of felt detached from them, like they hadn't really happened to me but to someone else.

I wondered, briefly, as I picked up speed, if that was some type of defense mechanism. Was it my minds way of protecting itself until it was ready to deal with it? Maybe. I couldn't be positive.

And what had happened with Eric? Well, that I just put off as a temporary bout of insanity. I'd been out of my mind, that was for sure. As arousing and passionate and unexpected as it had been, I couldn't think of any better explanation.

I thought about nothing but the wind in my hair and the earth beneath my feet as I took my jog into the woods.

I knew the forest as well as I knew my own house. I'd grown up running and playing in them. Hiding from kids and their judgmental thoughts. Hiding, even sometimes, from my Gran. Being young and naive, it was hard to comprehend why people thought the things they did sometimes.

Becoming accustomed to it was a never ending chore. A burden. There were always things, often it seemed like everyday, I heard that made me wonder how the hell I _should_ react. Sometimes thoughts just screamed for me to address them or the memories they evoked.

People didn't like that. Strangers involving themselves in their personal business. Some days the chore came from that task alone. Keeping my nose out of others affairs. Maybe I couldn't help the fact that I heard the thoughts, but I could control the way that I reacted to them. That was a constant battle, and something I had to work hard at every day.

There was always an exception though, the occasional thought or memory I'd hear that would beg me to react. In cases involving abuse and such (and even things far worse), I could no more bite my tongue than I could sit to the side and play witness while it happened.

Those times, I always spoke up.

Maybe it didn't do any good. Maybe whatever I said would save their life. Maybe it would change things for the better. For the worse? I hoped for the best, but I never really saw those folks again.

My thoughts stumbled at the exact moment my feet did. I came to a stop and stared. I gasped and covered my mouth. I was glad I hadn't eaten breakfast. My lungs puffed air in and out, in and out.

There was an exception to that rule, too. I'd seen one of those people, victim to my nosiness, on a pretty regular basis.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. After catching my breath, I scrolled through my contacts and called Andy Bellefleur. He'd hated me before. He was really going to hate me now.

"Detective Bellefleur," I said as he picked up. "This is Sookie Stackhouse."

He grunted into the phone. I didn't have to be a mind reader to know he was about to fuss at me for calling him during work hours. I took another step back and said the only thing that would ever keep him on the line with me.

"I just found Maudette Pickens. She's dead."

**A/N: GAH! Ok, so another sort of cliffy. I know. I know. Please don't be mad at me. These chapters are all really long, especially by comparison to my other stories. I'm going for about 5k per chapter, give or take a little. **

**Thanks so much to those of your reading. I'm glad most of you are enjoying the story. For those of you that hated this Sookie before, I imagine you'll not like her any better after this chapter. It does make me wonder what it is about her you don't like? Remain anonymous if you'd like, but I'd love to hear your reasoning.**

**If you've got time to drop a line, I'm anxious to read what you thought. This was a doozy of a chapter to write, I tell ya! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

**KISSES!**


	11. The Lion Doesn't Sleep at Night

**A/N: A couple of days early! YAY! Thank you so much to each of you that take the time to leave a review. Thanks for the favorites and alerts, all of you make me feel special in one way or another. Sorry I haven't take the time to respond, but I've been writing up a storm, trying to stay on top of this and update regularly. I do hope you know I read each of your comments, sometimes multiple times, and love them all dearly.**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter pre-read and beta'd this bad boy. If any mistakes remain, I take total responsibility. I'm a faulty gal.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns them. I just take 'em for a spin every now and again.**

**Previously...**

_There was always an exception though, the occasional thought or memory I'd hear that would beg me to react. In cases involving abuse and such (and even things far worse), I could no more bite my tongue than I could sit to the side and play witness while it happened._

_Those times, I always spoke up. _

_Maybe it didn't do any good. Maybe whatever I said would save their life. Maybe it would change things for the better. For the worse? I hoped for the best, but I never really saw those folks again. _

_My thoughts stumbled at the exact moment my feet did. I came to a stop and stared. I gasped and covered my mouth. I was glad I hadn't eaten breakfast. My lungs puffed air in and out, in and out. _

_There was an exception to that rule, too. I'd seen one of those people, victim to my nosiness, on a pretty regular basis._

_I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. After catching my breath, I scrolled through my contacts and called Andy Bellefleur. He'd hated me before. He was really going to hate me now._

"_Detective Bellefleur," I said as he picked up. "This is Sookie Stackhouse." _

_He grunted into the phone. I didn't have to be a mind reader to know he was about to fuss at me for calling him during work hours. I took another step back and said the only thing that would ever keep him on the line with me._

"_I just found Maudette Pickens. She's dead."_

**SPOV**

Taekwondo, Wen-Do, Brazilian Jui Jitsu, Ken Po, MMA, Tai Chi, Judo, Kickboxing, Shinkendo, Tang Soo Do, Karate, Yaw-Yan, Fencing, Archery, Bare-knuckle boxing.

My list was nowhere near as extensive as the possibilities, but I'd dabbled, and had a fair amount of conditioning and knowledge in each of those fighting styles. Some of them for strength. Some of them for stamina. Others for the sheer brutality. A few, however, were more for focus and mental clarity.

I used a few of the breathing techniques I learned in Tai Chi as I waited for Andy to arrive. I'd moved back to the road, away from where Maudette's body slumped against an old oak tree, and yet I could still see her every time I closed my eyes.

It looked like her neck had been chewed on.

Something had torn into her throat like a wild beast, and with my disastrous interlude from the night before so fresh in my thoughts, it was impossible not to connect the two.

How long had a rabid vampire been loose in my woods? How many others had he killed? Were there others dead, and we just didn't know it? Why, _oh why_, couldn't he have found me first? He'd have been dead before he had the chance to kill Maudette. What if there were more of them out there, somewhere, lying in wait for their next victim?

I breathed in through my nose, exhaled, and began.

_Peng. Lu. C'hi. An._

My limbs moved with the steady rhythm of my breath, strengthening each position, energizing my core. I exhaled, inhaled, eyes closed.

_Tsai. Lieh. Zhou. Kao._

I moved my feet, gravel shifted. I heard the wind through the trees. The air pulsed with life around me. I felt myself calm. My mind commanded peace and contentment.

_Jin. Tui. Ku. Pan._

I moved back to center, my limbs lose but strong, my will my own. My Chi balanced. Breath moved in my lungs, blood flowed in my veins. I was as alive and agile as the air around me. I lived to fight another day.

_Ding._

I opened my eyes to the sound of tires on gravel. Thirty seconds passed and I could see its flashing lights. Andy's cruiser appeared around the bend a moment later. Tense and boiling anger were obvious in the set of his shoulders as he parked. It was a wonder he'd made it without wrecking.

Andy's bickering began as soon as the car door opened. "If this is your idea of a practical joke, Ms. Stackhouse – "

I turned on my heel, ignoring him, and marched into the woods. "This way," I called over my shoulder.

Andy dutifully followed, grumbling the entire time. "You didn't touch nothing, did ya?"

I shook my head. "Of course not." Not that I would have wanted to anyway.

I could now distinguish, with great detail I might add, the difference between a vampire and a person that was well and truly dead. I'm not sure what it was that made vampires living creatures, but they most definitely were _not_ dead.

Andy's radio squawked and another deputy's voice filled the air. Andy lifted it off his belt and gave the man our location. He'd called for back-up. Good. He was going to need all the help he could get.

I stopped about ten feet away from where Maudette's corpse was. Because she _was_ that. I didn't have to search for a pulse to know there wasn't one. Andy nearly bumped right into me. I met his angry eyes and pointed. "She's over there."

He gave me a strange look. I was doing my best to block him. The blood I'd taken from Eric seemed to have strengthened my shields a bit. I still caught stray thoughts, so I knew Andy was dreading what he was about to do. He didn't want to see a corpse. I hadn't wanted to either. I gave him a nudge.

I watched his hesitant steps as he walked toward the tree. "Jesus Christ," he muttered, covering his mouth. "Jesus Christ," he repeated. He took a few steps back and looked over at me. "I'm gonna need to ask you some questions."

I nodded. He'd told me that over the phone. I was expecting it. He wouldn't be a good cop if he didn't. I checked the time on my cell. _Shit._ I held up a finger. "Let me call Sam to let him know I'll be late."

Andy waved a hand. "I'll wait until Kevin and Kenya arrive. Make your call." He continued to walk in circles around the body, looking for all the world like he was about to puke.

I could relate. I turned away and called Sam.

"_Well, shit,"_ Sam said when I'd finished relaying what was going on. _"I never even thought to look all the way out there."_

I snorted without an ounce of humor into the phone. "Yeah, me neither."

"_Can they tell what happened?" _

"It looks," I peeked over my shoulder and cupped the phone. I didn't know if I was sharing police business, or if Andy would rip me a new one, but I needed to tell someone something. "It looks like a vampire attack, Sam."

I didn't dare tell him any events of my night before, not yet at least, but I wanted to brainstorm a bit. There were other signs that occurred to me after I'd been able to clear my head. Something didn't look right about it. Not at all. I needed someone to bounce ideas around with, and Sam was probably the best person for that. He was good at keeping secrets.

"_Vampire?"_ he asked. _"Jesus, Sookie, that could've been you!"_

HA! Tell me about it. It almost was. "But it's strange," I continued.

"_How so?"_

I gave another look-see over at Andy. He wasn't paying me a lick of mind. Then I thought about how crazy that vampire had been when he attacked me and went with my gut.

"There was a lot of blood. I mean, a lot. Would a vampire waste that much blood?"

"_You'd know better than me, cher."_ Sam's voice was accusing. I couldn't blame him.

"And another thing," I said, ignoring it. "Maudette's been missing for, what? Four days now?"

"_Going on five,"_ he confirmed.

"Yeah, well, she looked like she'd just died, Sam. There's no way she's been sitting here in the woods for that long."

"_What do you mean?"_

I sighed. I was no expert, but I'd watched a few CSI shows in my day. "If she's been out here in the open for nearly five days, don't you think some kind of animal would've found her? I didn't see anything like that."

I heard him breathing into the receiver. I could almost picture his thoughtful expression. _"You're right. Are you sure though? Could you have missed something?"_

I guess I could have, but I didn't think so. I said as much to Sam. "I know I'm not a professional, but I'd think something like that would be pretty obvious, right?"

"_Yeah,"_ he said after a moment. His voice was pretty grave. _"The evidence would be pretty noticeable."_

"That's what I thought." I heard Kevin and Kenya hiking through the brush. "Look, Sam, I gotta go. I'll be there as soon as Andy's done with me."

"_Alright, yeah. Take your time. We'll handle it."_

"Thanks." We said bye and hung up.

I was stuffing my phone back into my pocket just as they broke through the tree line. Andy walked over to talk with them, preparing them for what they were about to see. I sat down on a moss covered stump to wait.

By the time Andy was done questioning me, leaving me with a patented, "Now don't you go trying to skip town, Ms. Stackhouse," it was nearly noon. I was an hour late for my shift, and since Andy and his crew were busy collecting evidence and taking notes and photos, I still had to make the trek home on my own two feet.

Good thing I had such an understanding boss, I supposed. Plus, Sam knew the circumstances, so he would've forgiven me anything.

I stuck to the road since it was shorter than the way I'd came on my run. That forced me to walk right by Bill Compton's house, though, and that was a bummer. I didn't like being near there even in the daytime, when vampires were supposedly dead to the world. I hummed the theme song for _Halloween_ as I passed.

There were two cars parked out front. One of which had Arkansas tags. I wondered what kind of company a vampire entertained? Maybe his visitors would keep Bill from making any social calls to my house. I could only hope.

I finally made it to work, but it was a pretty slow day. Good thing too, since I was scheduled for a double. The vampire blood, I think, is what kept me going. It was kind of hard to believe that I'd been staked and nearly drained the night before.

I'd searched my skin for any evidence while I had a quick shower, finding nothing. The skin between my clavicle and my shoulder looked a little shinier than the rest, but that was the only difference I noted. Well, that's not true. My skin had a little glow to it, and my hair seemed a bit shinier, but that could've simply been my imagination.

If Sam noticed when I arrived, he kept it to himself.

Arlene was both disappointed and happy to see me. Disappointed because she had rent and her personal property taxes due and needed the extra tips. Happy because she really hadn't wanted to do the additional work to earn those tips.

"You hear about Maudette?" she asked in a whisper at around four.

She asked because she wanted to gossip. She knew I'd heard, because she'd heard I'd found her body. She was hoping I would give her the inside scoop; I didn't rise up. Every single one of our fifteen lunch guests had been prattling about it though. It was the town's biggest and most recent news.

Someone had talked, and I knew it hadn't been Sam or me. No one knew the whole truth of course, they were only spreading what they'd gathered from one source or another. Most of it was harmless enough. How sad it was. How much she'd be missed. How awful it was that someone so young had died.

Other things were not quite so innocent. A group of ladies from one of the town churches came in gabbing about how her head had been ripped clean off. _Vampires needed to be exterminated_, they'd exclaimed.

I heard what everyone said, but also what they thought. I was surprised at how vicious and full of hate some of their minds were. I steered clear of that herd. I was glad they'd sat in Arlene's section.

I had my own reasons for disliking vampires, that was for sure, but I also had reason to be grateful for their existence. Eric had saved my life. If not for him, I'd be the talk of the town right alongside Maudette.

That was the kind of thinking that was going to ruin my day. At about five-thirty, I sneaked into the bathroom to have me a good cry. I'd been closer to losing it than I thought, and I almost didn't make it.

I'd tried, best as I could, to stay sort of anesthetized to all the talk of murder and death and vampire draining, but my own near-murder-slash-draining still flashed like an answering machine holding messages. A constant reminder, blinking and blinking and blinking, that needed to be addressed before it would go away once and for all.

I just had a few more hours until my shift ended, I promised myself. I would have my breakdown then. The harder part was going to be the following night when I had to go to Fangtasia and face Eric. I wasn't sure what to expect, or how to prepare for that. I was in a pickle there.

I ran into Sam as soon as I walked out of the bathroom. He knew something was up and stopped me by grabbing my elbow.

"You alright, Sook?"

Something made me bite my tongue. Sam had good intentions, I knew, but he'd only make me feel worse. I wasn't ready to deal with his "friendly advice" and "concern" when it came to my safety. I'd tell him eventually, maybe, definitely not yet.

Truthfully, I just didn't want to hear him say, "I told you so."

"I'm okay," I finally said, offering him a small smile. "It's been a long day."

Sam gave me a sympathetic nod. "Stressful too, I'm sure. Sorry you had to see what you did. That couldn't have been easy for you."

It wasn't. The image was seared onto my eyelids. Only in Maudette's place, I saw _my_ face. "I'm a pretty tough cookie, Sam," I gave him a wink. "I'll be alright."

"Well," he said, giving my arm an affectionate pat. "You let me know if you need anything. Even just to talk. Hear?"

"I will. Thanks."

I went on back to work and finished my shift. I saved a few of my closing duties for the next morning, but Sam didn't seem to mind. When I made it home, I kicked off my shoes and crawled straight into bed. I had some of the most vivid dreams of my life. At least they weren't nightmares.

"A girl was killed in Bon Temps," I told Eric when I arrived at work the next night.

I'd sought him out first thing, bypassing even Pam. Would things be awkward between us now? How was I supposed to act? Should I treat him differently? Would I, even if I tried _not_ to? Whatever happened would happen, I guessed. I, for damn sure, didn't want to put it off.

Besides all that, I needed some advice – some kind of information that may or may not confirm my suspicions – and if anyone was an expert on the inner workings of a vampire, it was Eric.

Eric pushed aside his laptop and gave me his attention. His tone was acerbic. "Please, do come in, Sookie."

I'd walked right into his office without knocking. It was obvious he was annoyed. And pissed. No, that's not quite right. I frowned. Eric wanted me to _think_ he was. I'm not sure how I knew that, but I did.

I closed the door behind me, only coming to a stop when I was directly in front of his desk. "I found her body yesterday morning. Ran right over her."

Eric sat up a little straighter. I'd piqued his interest. "Do you need an attorney?"

"What? No. Why?" I uncrossed my arms.

"You said you ran over a girl in Bon Temps."

I made a face. "No, I didn't. I said a girl was killed in Bon Temps. Don't you listen?"

Eric's jaw went rigid. "Get out of my office."

He really was angry now. "I'm sorry," I said, and it stung. But I'd been rude without meaning to. I was tense and stressed, a hair-trigger. Plus, those dreams had been really graphic, and Eric had a starring role. "What I meant to say, is that I stumbled over her dead body while I was out for a run. She was murdered."

"And?"

God, he was such an infuriating man. I was trying to be civil, why couldn't he? "I went to High School with her, Eric." My words were harsher than intended.

He met my eyes. His face was completely unreadable. "My condolences."

Sarcasm, thy name is Eric. He was purposefully trying to get rid of me by pushing my buttons. Well, bully for him, I wasn't so easily derailed. My buttons were always pushed.

I placed the flat of my palms on the top of his desk and leaned forward until we were eye-to-eye. "The suspect is a vampire."

Interest made the blue of his eyes sparkle. Something else, too. Fury. "You suspect the one you slayed?"

I shook my head and sat in the chair across from him. "Not exactly."

"You are trouble, aren't you?" Eric said as he relaxed into his chair.

"No!" It wasn't _my_ fault. Fuck, what _had_ I been thinking? Why had I thought Eric would help me in the first place? I was an idiot.

I made move to stand, but Eric's next question stopped me mid-rise. "I'm not sure how this all concerns me."

"It concerns you because the cops will be looking for a vampire, Eric." My face felt hot. I wondered if it was as red as I imagined. "_You_ are a vampire."

Eric shrugged, unmoved by my outrage. "I did not kill her."

"I know that!" I stopped and took a deep breath, composing myself, then focused on Eric again. "I said they _suspect_ a vampire, not that it _was_ one."

"Aha," he breathed. A small, condescending smile played on his lips. "So even after your ordeal you believe us above reproach."

Why'd he have to rub that in my face? I felt my ears steam. "No, I think you're all far from innocent. You are monsters. I don't believe for a moment all this bravado with Tru Blood, or mainstreaming, or any of that nonsense. I know you still feed on people."

"Yes, and you still eat cattle."

"Oh, so I'm cattle now? Fuck you, Eric." I stood up. "I came here because I think there's someone out there trying to frame a vampire. I came here to help _you_."

"Sookie, sit down." I heard him stand a second before I felt his hand on my shoulder. His voice softened. "Sit down." It was a request, so I sat. On the couch this time. It was closer to the door. "Tell me your quandary. I will be on my best behavior."

The red haze lifted from my eyes. I calmed. Slightly. "Promise?"

Eric sat beside me and held up one hand. "On my honor as a vampire."

I snorted. I didn't want to ask what kind of honor that was. I was afraid I wouldn't like the answer. "Alright." I took a slow breath and started at the beginning. "She's been missing for a few days. I found her yesterday, in the woods near my house."

"What is it that has your suspicions taking root elsewhere? Don't get me wrong," Eric laughed and held up his hands in defense. "But you're not what I would call a fan of the fang."

I chuckled a little and looked away, making light of his words. He was right. I wasn't. Especially not now. "I just... I remember what he was like." I closed my eyes and focused on the air in my lungs. "That vampire? He was going to kill me. I could see it in his eyes," I paused and met Eric's piercing stare. "He was going to drain me."

"But you bested him. He is finally and truly dead now." Eric's voice was uncharacteristically soft. It still sounded deadly, but it was sure. It made me feel a little proud. I think. It was a strange sensation. "You did that, Sookie. You killed him. You live."

I tried to shake the odd feelings away, but they still lingered. "I know," I said finally. "But that's the thing. Her body..." I shook my head.

Eric's hand on mine gave me a start. I almost pulled away. In the end though, I kept still. I needed his help. His touch grounded me, whether I like it or not. "Go on," he urged.

"There was so much blood, Eric." I stood and walked away then. I needed a bit of space. Eric seemed immersed as I relayed my tale. When I finished, I asked him what was bothering me the most about it all. "If that vampire had succeeded in killing me the other night, I know there wouldn't have been a drop left in my body. Something is just not right about it. What do you think?"

He seemed thoughtful and remained silent for a moment. That was good, I thought, I wanted his honesty. No matter what it was. I got the impression that he was sincerely thinking about how to answer me truthfully. Maybe I wouldn't get the whole truth, but I hoped for enough.

"Well," he began after several minutes. "In theory, you're correct." I breathed a sigh of relief until I heard the, "However." Eric stood and walked over to stare down at me. "I would be dishonest if I did not tell you there are those out there that would kill for the sport of it."

I tried to absorb that, as harsh as it was. I'd asked for honesty. Be careful what you wish for. "So, what you're saying is it _could_ be a vampire?"

"It could, yes, though it is unlikely." Eric deliberated a second before saying, "It has not always been as it is now. We live amongst you, out in the open. We are what we are, what we have always been. Some of us have a harder time accepting change than others. That is just the truth of it."

The leather sofa squeaked as I sank down on it. "Well, shit."

"If it helps, I have utter faith in your ability to solve your problem."

Right. My problem. I was back to square one and Eric wasn't going to be of anymore help to me than he already had been. Because it was a human death and not a vampire death, it wasn't his problem. Which reminded me of something else.

"Do you know who it was? The vampire I killed? Did you know him?"

Eric shook his head and went back over to his desk. He sat on the edge. "I did not see him."

I tried to describe him as best I could, without making him out to be more the demon than he was. "He looked... well, he kind of looked like a hobo. Could you not... I don't know, smell him or something?"

"I did. It wasn't easy. Once a vampire is staked, especially outside, there scent is scattered to the wind." Eric looked like he was lost in thought, but his pause was brief. "His scent was strongest in and around your yard. I was able to track it to its source."

I was suddenly in a panic. "You were? Why didn't you say anything before? Where was he from? Are there more of them? God, I don't think I could survive another night like that."

"You would find a way. You seem quite resourceful, dear Sookie. I'm impressed."

"Don't be. I got lucky." It didn't take a genius to know that.

"Seriously, you must have some skill to best a vampire."

I shook it off. He was getting off point. "I'd prefer not to talk about that. Where was it you said you tracked him to."

Eric gave me a smirk. "I didn't say."

"Damn it, Eric, where?"

Eric held up his hands and chuckled. "Alright. Alright. I tracked his scent through your woods. The trail ended not far from your house, actually." Even before he spoke his next words, I knew what they would be. It hit my mind like a mack truck. "I tracked him to – "

"Bill Compton's house," we said together.

"Oh, hell," I moaned.

Eric spoke on top of me. "How did you know?"

I told him about the car I'd seen out front at Bill's with the Arkansas tags. "Could this be connected?" I asked. It was a little too coincidental not to be. "Could it have been him that killed her? Was he the only one?"

"It could have been him, or someone else. I could not ascertain unless I saw the human woman. That is, if his scent has not already been tainted. Your human police and their chemicals." Eric's nose turned up and he shook his head. "He was with three others, all of similar description. Disgusting and unclean. Deplorable vampires."

"What?" I half-yelled.

Eric waved a hand. "I instructed them of their friend's demise and bade them to leave at first dark this evening."

"Well, how do you know they did? They could be out there killing more people right now."

"I made sure of it," was all he said. Eric's eyes were dark as night.

"That's all well and good, but you can't know for sure unless you watched them leave yourself."

"I did. I stayed to ensure they did as instructed."

"You stayed at Bill's?" Picturing Eric having some sort of vampire sleepover at Bill's house was just laughable. I couldn't help snickering.

Eric didn't think it was funny as he said, "I stayed in ground."

"Like in the dirt? You can do that?" Weird. The thought was just too weird. Like they dug a hole and buried themselves for the day, sans headstone of course. _Here lies Eric Northman._ I shivered.

"Yes. A long time ago it was the way we survived."

"Oh," I sighed. I hadn't thought about it that way. How hard must life have been for a vampire, I wondered. Then I realized I was being sympathetic again and shook it off. "And so that's it," I said. "They're gone." Maybe no one else would be killed. If it was them, that is. My head hurt.

"They would have left anyway," he added as an afterthought. "Their friend met his true death while visiting another area. They will alert the king of Arkansas of our infraction."

"Infraction. I was defending myself. He was going to kill me."

"It is still a breach of the law to kill a vampire without his or her Liege or Maker permitting it. Arkansas will demand recompense for the loss of one of theirs."

I exhaled a heavy breath. I guess it made sense that vampires would have their own set of laws. I'd sort of learned as much in my little experience with them. Still, it just didn't sit right. Had I not expected there to be consequences? I'd killed a person. A vampire, but someone was dead because of me.

"Well, what do I need to do? Write down some kind of statement? Will I have to go to court?"

Eric laughed. Laughed like I'd just told the world's funniest joke. It was a bit unnerving. "Don't worry your pretty head. I informed them it was I who killed him."

"But _I_ staked him." I knew; I was there when it happened. I wasn't about to shoulder off the blame on someone else.

"You did," he agreed. "I can cover whatever fee Arkansas demands. He was a nobody, I'm sure of it. They'll demand a penance of a few thousand, nothing more."

A few thousand? "Dollars?" I squeaked. Eric dipped his chin once. Jeez!

I had been doing pretty good with my extra money, I admit. The longer hours and strange requests were worth it once I started bringing in the checks from Fangtasia. I'd been able to pay all my taxes for the land and house. I'd even paid up on all my bills and insurance premiums. I'd only begun setting aside a little here and there for my new driveway.

"I have a little in savings," I mused aloud. "I suppose I could try for a loan or something at the bank." There was no way I'd ask Eric for an advance, even though it did cross my mind. Maybe I could get a raise?

"I will take care of it," was all he said.

I shook my head. "I don't need you to do that for me. I killed him. I'm woman enough to own up to that. I'll deal with it."

Eric gave me a look that said I was a fool. "I told them it was me for a reason, Sookie. Let me deal with it."

"What does it matter? I'm sure I can handle it. You can just call King Arkansas and tell him the truth."

"On the contrary, my sweet Sookie, if I'd have told them it was you, a human, who snuffed the vampire from his undead existence, it wouldn't be mere money that they sought."

I was afraid to ask. "Don't keep me in suspense, damn it."

Eric grinned. His fangs were down. "They would demand your life for his. Your blood for his."

Fuck that, I thought. That was unacceptable. "Alright, you can pay."

The flash of violence in Eric's eyes was as unexpected as it was sudden. I froze, not daring to breathe as I eyed him. I could feel the rage boiling as if it were my own. The lion, tensed and posed to strike, lay hiding in wait beneath the brush of his skin. It clawed at the surface of his cool facade.

Oh, that's so freaky. There was something peculiar going on.

When I opened my mouth, I spoke carefully. "What's wrong, Eric?" I swallowed hard. "Are you hungry or something?" Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut and just went to grab him a Tru Blood. Just in case.

Eric stood. I was too frightened to move from my spot on the sofa, even as he approached. "Why?" he purred, stopping with his shins touching mine. "Are you offering?"

I choked out a laugh. "Not hardly."

"Too bad," he said, dropping his eyes to mine. An animal lived inside those sparkling blue iris's. I blinked and he was there, leaning over my neck and forcing me to recline. "You taste like summer," he whispered. My pulse sped as he growled, "And sex."

Eric was angry, yes, but there was more. Things that I didn't quite understand. Well, he was pissing me off too. "I hope you enjoyed it, vampire. It's the last taste you'll _ever_ get of me."

His face appeared in front of mine. His grin stretched his lips across his fangs. I tried to force my heart back out of my throat. "Oh, I did. I enjoyed it very much."

He closed his eyes and licked his lips. I felt... pleasure, excitement. Something else. Fear and longing. His mouth opened on a breath. _Fuck. Want her. Fuck her. Taste her. Lips. Her breasts. Fuck. Now._ I needed to fuck him this instant.

What? Where the hell did that come from?

I put a palm to Eric's chest and shoved. Hard. He stumbled. "I think you need to tell me what's going on." His blood was doing something to me, I just knew it. He'd said something about other side-effects. I wanted to know what they were. "What's happening to me?"

"I don't know what you mean," he said stiffly. His cool expression was back in place. He looked as composed as ever.

Only I knew differently. "Oh, I think you do, Eric, and you better tell me."

He smiled at me. "Or what?"

"Eric," I warned. I was feeling particularly short-fused, and I was quite certain it wasn't all my ire that made me so.

"I'll tell you of how my blood is affecting you," he said after a beat. "On one condition."

But, of course. Why would I have expected anything less? "What's that?"

"You agree to two training sessions with me per week, as I've requested before." He sat, looking cocky as hell. He just _knew_ I'd say yes.

"No."

His expression changed in a blink. "You're a fool. Did you learn nothing?"

"Not with you," I amended, holding one finger aloft. "I'll agree to your Vampire Boot Camp, whatever, but I won't be training with you."

I'd already been debating it, and come to the conclusion I'd be an idiot if I didn't accept now. I had decided earlier in the day that I would take him up on his offer, if he was still willing. But, as I'd told Eric, I could not train with him.

There was a fine line between fury and passion when it came to fighting. It was too physical. And given that I felt we'd been tip-toeing that line here recently, especially after those dreams last night, I knew I couldn't trust myself to spar with him. Fighting, kissing, fucking, punching, the lines blurred far too much when it came to Eric.

"There is no one else," he said.

I crossed my arms. I wasn't budging. I couldn't afford to. "You don't trust anyone?"

He thought for a moment, his eyes unfocused. "Pam," he conceded finally.

"Fine. I'll train with Pam. Two nights a week. If she even _once_ tries to bite me, I'll stop immediately."

"She won't like that," he said, his lips twisting into a smile. "But we are agreed."

"Good. Now, tell me what the hell your blood is doing to me."

He did, and I was still thinking about it as I drove home. There were a lot of benefits, but other things that were going to be a bit of a burden. Like feeling Eric's emotions, for instance, being able to sense him. His blood in me recognized and called to him, and I would feel that at a cellular level. I could only hope that the effects would wear off soon. I didn't want a ragey, blood thirsty vampire dwelling beneath my skin forever.

If Eric held any information back, I couldn't tell. I had no doubt that he would too, if it gave him some sort of advantage. I supposed, though, it'd only be a matter of time until I found out if he was lying or not.

I went out of my way to drive by Bill's house. Sure enough, the car from Arkansas was gone. I just needed to make sure.

It wasn't so much that I didn't trust Eric's word. Well, that was a lie. I didn't really trust Eric. Not yet. Irrational, maybe, since he'd yet to give me a reason not to, and that certainly earned him points in my favor. Sure, it's always a bit like pulling teeth to glean an iota of his knowledge, but he had told me quite a lot.

But trust, for me at least, was an enormous hurdle. I wasn't anywhere near ready to jump it yet, especially not with Eric. I couldn't knock down any of my walls with him, especially since I'd had his blood. It would be too hard to confuse his blood reactions with my own.

So, until I was certain his blood was cleared of my system, I'd stick to knocking down walls with Pam. Literally. I grinned as I pulled into my driveway. She and I would have our first session in two nights, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about it.

I would be adding another fighting style to my growing list of ways-to-kick-a-persons-ass. My Vampire Kung Fu was definitely weak.

**A/N: GAH! Okay, man. I'll be sitting over here just a ways, patiently waiting your response. I love writing this story, but I swear sometimes these two drive me nuts. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**If you have the time, drop me a line. I do love hearing from you.**

**KISSES!**


	12. Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting

**A/N: WOW! You guys are so kickass. Seriously, thank you so much for the amazing response to the last chapter. Thanks for the reviews and favorites and alerts. You blow me away.**

**Special thanks: I fear I would have given up long ago if it weren't for EtheHunter. She's been wonderful and a dear friend. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the characters. I own a toaster and a microwave. Not sure anyone wants those, so please don't sue me.**

**Previously...**

"_Fine. I'll train with Pam. Two nights a week. If she even once tries to bite me, I'll stop immediately."_

"_She won't like that," he said, his lips twisting into a smile. "But we are agreed."_

"_Good. Now, tell me what the hell your blood is doing to me."_

_He did, and I was still thinking about it as I drove home. There were a lot of benefits, but other things that were going to be a bit of a burden. Like feeling Eric's emotions, for instance, being able to sense him. His blood in me recognized and called to him, and I would feel that at a cellular level. I could only hope that the effects would wear off soon. I didn't want a ragey, blood thirsty vampire dwelling beneath my skin forever._

_If Eric held any information back, I couldn't tell. I had no doubt that he would too, if it gave him some sort of advantage. I supposed, though, it'd only be a matter of time until I found out if he was lying or not._

_I went out of my way to drive by Bill's house. Sure enough, the car from Arkansas was gone. I just needed to make sure. _

_It wasn't so much that I didn't trust Eric's word. Well, that was a lie. I didn't really trust Eric. Not yet. Irrational, maybe, since he'd yet to give me a reason not to, and that certainly earned him points in my favor. Sure, it's always a bit like pulling teeth to glean an iota of his knowledge, but he had told me quite a lot._

_But trust, for me at least, was an enormous hurdle. I wasn't anywhere near ready to jump it yet, especially not with Eric. I couldn't knock down any of my walls with him, especially since I'd had his blood. It would be too hard to confuse his blood reactions with my own. _

_So, until I was certain his blood was cleared of my system, I'd stick to knocking down walls with Pam. Literally. I grinned as I pulled into my driveway. She and I would have our first session in two nights, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about it._

_I would be adding another fighting style to my growing list of ways-to-kick-a-persons-ass. My Vampire Kung Fu was definitely weak._

**SPOV**

_Smack._

_Ow._ "Damn it, Pam."

_Smack._

"Stop doing that, and I'll stop hitting you."

I pulled back and centered myself, then lunged before Pam could turn all the way back around to face me.

_Whack_.

"Fucking hell, you're fast."

It was our third practice, and I was feeling a little like a neophyte. A hopeless case. I'd made contact with Pam on one occasion, and in that instance, I was pretty sure she'd let me. Right now though, we were using weapons, and I was determined to get it right. I struck again.

_Whack._

I grunted in pain and went to my knees.

My arm was killing me. I still had bruises from the night before. My wrist bone was looking a little raw to be honest. This was no foam Escrima Pam was hitting me with.

No fake weapons for us, no ma'am.

Her short staff was beautifully crafted rattan wood that had been heated for extra strength and durability. Despite how much pain it'd cause me, I could admit that I admired the hell out of it. Intricately burned stripes along the entire twenty-six inch length, made it appear as though I was being struck by a tiger's tail.

It hurt like a son-of-a-bitch, too.

Mine though, I really loved. Pam had ordered me a set of custom made Sai's. They clinked together as I forced myself to my feet.

Pam was shaking her head. "I keep telling you to stop doing that."

"It would help if you told me what," I said through my teeth. "It's a wonder you haven't broken my arm yet."

I was covered in sweat. A pool of it had soaked through my sports bra and was running down my stomach, getting the top of my shorts wet. Pam looked cool and perfect in her yoga pants and bandeau. I wondered how the hell she kept it from falling off. She wasn't as heavy through the chest as I was, so I guessed that was how she managed.

I'd have tumbled right out of that sort of thing.

Pam gave my Sai's a pointed look. "You're the one wielding lethal weapons."

I smiled a little at that. I loved my new toys. Solid black with a leather grip, weighing in at two point two pounds each, it was love at first sight. My only concession to Pam had been the metal used. Mine were iron instead of silver.

"They're not lethal to you, Pam." I walked over to grab a quick drink of water. "Not that I've hit you with them anyway," I muttered.

"You lead with your right shoulder," she said, nodding towards the offending shoulder. It held the largest and darkest of bruises. Luckily, it was hidden by my uniform at Merlotte's. "I know you're going to move before you take your first step."

"Huh," I grunted and set down my water. I moved back to the mat. I needed to see what she meant. I'd thought I was being very attentive to my executions. "Let's go again."

Pam held up a hand and pulled her cell phone out. "Try this. Let's go through the stances you learned last time. Right point first. I'll record it so you can watch."

I moved into Wu Chi with my left foot slightly back, left arm over head, and right hand in strikers pose. "Ready," I said.

"Begin."

Pam had choreographed a series of sixteen moves that included some basic Karate mixed with Taekwondo, and a few other moves that felt a little like Shinkendo, only with Sai's instead of swords. She'd told me that in some of the best fights she'd witnessed, the victor often used a mixed style, even including a little bit of street-fighting, to keep his or her opponent off balance.

"Keep them guessing," she'd said.

I got that. It made a lot of sense to me. So she'd shown me a few moves and stances, attacking and defending, sometimes even advancing or kicking, then synchronized them into one fluid dance.

It'd been a little difficult at first, trying to find a smooth transition between some of the maneuvers, but I'd been practicing. I was surest when I led right point first. Left point, however, proved a bit trickier. It was choppier than the right. I had to think harder to get my limbs in the right position.

It was easy to see what Pam was talking about in the video as I watched myself. I was right handed, so I supposed it was simply more natural for me to move with that side. When I dressed in the mornings, my right foot went into the pants leg first. Same with my shoes. Right foot first.

"I get what you're saying," I said to Pam after it was over. "Now, how can I change it? Correct it? I don't even notice it as I'm doing it."

Pam was a good teacher. I was enjoying the time we'd been spending together. I wasn't going to tell _her_ that, but it was fun. Well, as fun as getting your ass handed to you by a vampire ever was.

"First of all, you need to practice."

"I've been practicing." I argued.

She rolled her eyes. "I could tell. But you've only been practicing your right drills. If it feels comfortable, seamless, you don't need more practice. It's obvious you're not training the left as you are your right."

She was right but... "It feels like I'm forcing it when I do it the other way around. I don't like that it's not perfect. I want it to be perfect." And I really hated to get through to the end of a sequence and not be satisfied with my performance.

"Exactly," Pam said, smiling. "Practice makes perfect, Sookie. You need to hone both sides of your body. Not all fights are as structured as what we've done so far. It may mean life or death one day."

"I know that."

She blew me an air kiss. "Then quit being so difficult about it." I stuck my tongue out at her. "Is that an invitation?"

I held up a hand to keep her from advancing. "Ah, no." Pam took almost everything as an invitation to seduce me to the 'dark side,' as she called it. It didn't matter how much my recent dreams seemed to be affecting my libido, I still wasn't into women. Eric on the other hand...

"You just save those for my maker." Her eyes sparked with amusement.

Fuck, Eric. Bastard was everywhere. "I do not." I got up and stretched my arms above my head. I was both pleasantly and painfully sore. "Are we going to fight or not?"

Something else lit her eyes, and I just knew I wasn't going to like whatever came next. "What is up with you two?"

My face went hard. I felt my teeth grind together. "Absolutely nothing."

"Funny," she laughed, then kept laughing as she circled me. There was a buoyancy about Pam that I was only privy to when it was her and I alone. "Eric said _exactly_ the same thing."

I snarled and readied my throwing arm. "Think you can dodge this?" I wiggled my Sai.

"Lighten up, Sookie," she chided. "Temper, temper." She came to a stop, directly in front of me, and grinned in the face of my obvious displeasure. After tapping her chin thoughtfully, she taunted me further. "Reminds me of someone else I know. I can't imagine who."

I attacked.

She laughed and blocked my left hook, hopping lightly on her feet. We grappled a little, but she was both stronger and faster, and was able to pull away. I used my anger, fed into it and let it fill my muscles, Let it calculate each parry.

I side-kicked left. Pam evaded. Her face was alive with excitement. Side-kick right, thrust, punch, and I had to block her attempt at a slap. In her eyes, I saw the reflection of monsters, as well as Gran's killer, and knew I was in my zone.

After a series of evasive moves, I charged into a round-house kick, ducking down at the last second to attack from below.

My chest was heaving when I stood, nudging Pam's chin upward with the tip of my Sai. A single drop of blood rolled down the blackened blade. Pride at my triumph was brief, since I realized at that exact moment, what a precarious situation I was in.

This was Pam, not an enemy. I dropped my arm and stepped back, offering her a small bow. She began clapping the moment I was erect again.

"Bravo, Sookie. Bravo." After I assured myself she wasn't going to kill me, I returned her smile with a nervous one of my own. "Where did you go just now? That was brilliant. I think I had an orgasm."

"Eww, Pam, TMI," I tried to shake off, bring myself fully back into the now, but it was hard.

"Seriously," she praised. "I am very impressed. There was something in your eyes though. You looked like a vampire, like you could already taste my blood. I've never seen you fight like that."

I tried and failed to feel happy about her obvious compliment, but I just couldn't. I'd gotten carried away there for an instant and almost lost myself to horrors long past.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said, turning away from her.

"Well, wherever you went, whatever was pushing you, that is what you need to use. Every time you fight. Bravo," she repeated.

It was so strange to hear that much praise from one such as Pam. I got the feeling she didn't offer it much. I faced her again and smiled. It was as genuine as I could manage. She looked positively delighted. And I'd almost stabbed her.

I took a deep breath and checked my watch. "Are we going to free spar now? We've got ten minutes left."

"Ready to leave so soon? Don't want to gloat in your victory?" At my glare she said, "Fine. Party-pooper. No weapons. Anything else goes. First to draw blood wins."

I scowled. "How am I supposed to draw blood without weapons?" She had fangs; it wasn't a fair match.

"Fight like a girl," Pam advised. "Fingernails. Teeth. Whatever. Break my bloody nose for all I care. I think I've had enough of you stabbing me for the night though."

I gave a stiff nod. "Okay. No biting."

She gave me a lovely pout. "You're a spoil sport."

I grinned. Pam had never bitten me, much as she may tease me about _wanting_ to. She'd stuck to her solemn vow, and I, for one, was grateful. I trusted her. Kind of. "Ready?"

"Always," she purred.

Then we scrapped. Pam didn't hold anything back. For the last ten minutes of class, we fought as vampire and human. It wasn't really a life or death situation, but we pretended it was. Pam went for the kill with every strike.

"You must remember," Pam said as she pressed her lips to my neck. Killing blow. "Your greatest advantage is that you're human."

I pushed her away and attacked again, winded as I spoke. "How is that an advantage?"

She touched my neck, tapping with the rapid beats of my pulse. "Anything distracting is an advantage. A throbbing vein," she paused to drop her fingers to the tops of my breasts. "A bouncing bosom. Just the promise of something soft and warm can be used as a diversion."

"Got it," I said and clawed. Or tried to. Pam deflected so all I managed to do was snag a few strands of her hair between my fingers.

"A girl move," she joked. "I like it." She kissed my wrist, ensnared in her grip. Another kill.

She wasn't drawing blood and kept her fangs in check, but I was tiring, she was not, so a part of me just wanted her to get it over with. The other part of me wasn't ready to give up, so I tackled again. Pam tripped me and knocked me on my back. The air flew out of my lungs.

She only made it worse when she sat on top of me. "You're holding back."

Was I? I frowned as I tried to breathe again. I realized I was. It wasn't intentional, but I didn't want another loss of control like earlier, so I couldn't really help it.

"Sorry," I said finally.

She helped me to my feet, only to sucker punch me a moment later. I heaved over, cradling my stomach.

"Your blood is a temptation," Pam droned, allowing me a moment. "Your body a weapon. Don't be afraid to use everything in your arsenal. Hell, the scent of you alone, especially as you are now, all hot, sweaty, and delicious. It's enough to drive me wild."

I eyed her as I regained some strength. Her fangs were peaking. She wasn't lying. "So, you're saying I should try to get a vampire to drain me?"

She shook her head. "Tempt them. Taunt them. Whatever you must do."

We went another few rounds before she finally recognized I was done. I didn't have anything left. She stuck my finger between her teeth, and pricked the tip with one fang. "I win." Then she licked it clean.

"For the hundredth time," I grunted. I'd be lucky if I could walk the next day. Pam had really pushed me. It took me a minute after she let me up, to actually regain my footing.

"Tell me something, Sookie, when you staked that vampire, how did it feel?"

"I don't know," I said with a scowl. "I was too busy dying to feel much."

"Lie," she said, shaking her head. "You felt something. Think about it. Remember it. I know I told you before to go to that special place in your head. Like you did here with me tonight. But you also need to go there. You need to know your opponent's death will be at your hand. You need to feel that with each strike. That satisfaction. That relief. Whatever it was you felt that night. Conjure that and use it."

I nodded, understanding what she was getting at. I wasn't sure it would be as easy as it sounded, but it would definitely be something I thought about. "I'll try."

"Another thing." At my expectant look, she continued. "Did the vampire you staked glamour you?"

"I can't be glamoured, Pam. You know that." I started gathering up my gear, and then wiped some of the sweat off my face.

She waved a hand. "Yes, yes, but did he try?"

I thought about it and realized he hadn't. When I informed her of that, I asked, "Why does that matter?"

She looked thoughtful. "It was just a curious thing to me." After giving me a nod she added, "Then he got off on that. Your fear. Your struggle. He would have killed you and enjoyed your pain as you died."

I grit my teeth. "Did you have a point, Pam, or are you just trying to make me puke?"

"It is yet another thing you can use to your advantage, not necessarily a disadvantage. You are weaker as a human. There are those of us that relish having that kind of control over another. Play on that. Play up your pain, your fear, use it against them. They will never see you coming."

"You scare me sometimes," I whispered.

She beamed at me. "Thank you."

Pam was so weird. I liked her a lot, but she was walking to the beat of a different drum. I was ready to go. I tossed my bag over my shoulder and waved, "I'll see you next week." Another thought occurred to me as I reached the door. "What if they do try to glamour me, what should I do then?"

I couldn't be glamoured, but it frightened me to think about those vampires that would try to. What was a creature like that capable of? I was kind of afraid to find out. Besides that, what more would they do to me when they found out I _couldn't_ be glamoured? I didn't want to wind up being some vampire's science project.

Pam shrugged. "Then you are screwed." _Just great._ "On second thought," she amended. "You should probably learn to fake it. Another edge in your favor. I will talk with Eric."

"This doesn't bother you?"

"What's that?"

"That you're giving me pointers on how to kill a vampire? Kill your own kind." It seemed odd to me, and it made me wonder not for the first time what Pam's motivation was. What Eric's was.

Pam just shrugged. "Why should it? What do I care? If they cannot win in a fight, then they deserve to die."

I went home after that, leaving Pam to do whatever it was she did after I left. Her words rang in my ears as I made my way to the house. Was that her way of complimenting me? Was she saying that because I'd staked one vampire and came out with my life, that I deserved the chance to keep on living?

I didn't know. And I supposed it didn't really matter what she'd meant. I had plenty other things to think about on my drive back to Bon Temps.

It wasn't as long a trip back and forth to the house where Pam had set up a Dojo of sorts. It was about mid-way between Fangtasia and my house, an old barn that had been gutted and remodeled into some kind of training facility.

I wondered if it was theirs, or if Eric and Pam had simply glamoured whoever owned it into allowing them use. Pam's talk of glamour had really gotten to me. More so than I liked to admit.

Why hadn't he glamoured me?

It seemed suspect to me. Significant, somehow. I was still trying to interpret it when I went to work the next night. That is until Bill came into Merlotte's.

I hadn't seen him since the attack almost a week before. I got the impression Eric was requesting Bill's services on my nights off intentionally. Not that I was complaining, but I did wonder at his impetus. What was his reasoning? His ultimate goal?

Surely, Eric didn't think he could keep me from ever encountering Bill? I wished he could, but knew it wasn't plausible. Since the night I'd learned it was one of Bill's pals that tried to kill me, I'd been dreading bumping into him.

Another part of me wanted to sling accusations, and maybe a few broken chair legs, at him. But that would have been stupid. Bill didn't know I'd staked his buddy, and I wasn't going to tell him and sign my own death warrant. There _was_ information I wanted from him though.

In order to get it, however, I was going to have to prove as cunning as a vampire.

"Hi, Bill," I said as I approached. I hoped I sounded less hostile than I felt. "We're out of your usual, but we've got a little bit of B pos left."

Bad thing about having only one vampire resident nearby was that the bar's blood stock often expired. Who knew there was a shelf-life on that kind of thing? Another bad thing about having one vampire resident was that we had one vampire resident.

"Good thing I'm on a diet," Bill answered.

I barked out a laugh before I could help myself. Wait a minute... "Was that your attempt at a joke, Bill Compton?" It was a strange thing; he was usually very dry. Even stranger though, was that I'd laughed.

"A man would do much for the gift of a woman's laughter. Especially yours, Sookie."

Well, I wasn't laughing anymore. But at least we were back to typical Bill behavior. I think there was a part of me that recognized it as his form of seduction. Bill was trying to woo me, that much was fairly transparent. Too bad for him, I was un-woo-able.

"You here for a drink, or was there something else you needed?"

"I'll take whatever you have, Sookie."

I left to retrieve his blood, wondering if Bill rehearsed the way he said my name. It wasn't so much unpleasant as it was disturbing. There was a certain cadence to it that made me shiver every time I heard it fall from his lips. Definitely disturbing.

He grabbed my wrist to stay me as I set his blood in front of him – Bill preferred wine glasses for his sustenance, talk about cliché – and I nearly took his head off. The words that followed weren't earning him any brownie points either.

"I heard about your friend," he drawled softly.

I just bet he had. No one else had been reported missing since Eric had run Bill's entourage out of town. I feared that I was becoming complacent in putting the blame for Maudette's death in their hands, but the evidence was stacking against them.

The cops hadn't found out anything further. They were no closer to catching her killer than they were in the beginning. It appeared as though the killers had left, and didn't plan on returning. So it was easy for me to accuse Bill's group of misfits, especially since one of them had tried to kill _me_.

I tried to remain skeptical, but it was growing increasingly difficult as more and more time passed without anyone else turning up mangled by a seemingly vicious vampire.

Bill's fingers rubbed against mine, bringing me out of my musings. "I just wanted to offer you my deepest sympathies."

I felt my anger simmer at that, but pushed it down. Bill was giving me an opening to conversation that I couldn't dismiss since I needed to interrogate him anyway. It was a delicate situation, and I hoped I had enough smarts in me to cull a certain amount of information before he got suspicious of me.

"Thanks," I finally said and sat down across from him. Bill seemed shocked at first, but he gave me an easy smile and withdrew his hand. "We weren't close, but I practically grew up with her."

He nodded in understanding. "I had heard you went to school together."

I wasn't sure I wanted to know how he knew that, so I didn't ask. "We did," I said simply. "It's so strange when I think about someone my age dying. I just hope they catch whoever did it soon."

"The cops have not succeeded in finding the culprit?"

I shook my head, looking properly fearful and sad. "They suspect a vampire," I paused a little here so he'd get the impression I did too. "But they have nothing to go on. No prints. No DNA. Nothing."

He looked surprised for a moment. "I have heard nothing elsewhere of vampire attacks in the area."

No, I'm sure he hadn't. Even if he had, I doubted he would tell me. Moreover, if he _was_ somehow involved, I knew he wouldn't say a thing to incriminate himself. I shrugged one shoulder. "We may never know."

"If you fear for your life, Sookie, it would be a pleasure to guard the safety of your home during the evenings."

Aww, how sweet of him to offer. It took every bit of my willpower not to sneer. "I'm alright, Bill. Thanks." Speaking of evenings... "I get off here in about an hour," I said smoothly. "I'd love to see what all you've done with the house," I choked a little on that lie, but Bill was too aghast to notice. "But I'd hate to impose since you have company."

Bait dangled. Now all I had to do was sit back and wait for Bill to take it. He didn't keep me hanging for long.

"Company? I do not have company. What would give you that idea?"

This was where I was going to put my masterful scheming to the test. I couldn't put Eric out there by telling Bill _he'd_ told me about his visitors. Nor could I inform Bill of my little altercation with one of his buddies, since Eric had taken the blame for that death – saving my life, yet again. I was beginning to run up a tab of debt to Eric.

The solution had been simple though. Innocent and innocuous. I looked just the part, too.

"Oh," I lied smoothly, "I saw a car in your yard a few mornings ago when I was out for a run. I just assumed you had company. Ah," I added, seemingly as an afterthought. "Maybe they were just helping you with the repairs. I hadn't thought about that."

Bill grabbed hold of that bait like a pro. Like I knew he would.

"What?" he feigned confusion for a moment. The perfect actor. "Oh, yes. I hired a company just outside of Bastrop to assist with some electrical work that needed to be done." He shook his head as if disappointed. "I made the request that whoever they send be willing to work alongside a vampire, but I hadn't dreamed they would contract a _group_ of vampires to do the job. I sent them back the next evening."

He was good, I'll give him that. It sounded almost believable. By the time he was finished with his spiel, I was convinced enough that I nearly forgot what all my questioning had been about in the first place.

I nodded in understanding. "Well, I'd still like to see what you've done so far." I'd used it as an excuse before, so I couldn't go back on it now. No way in hell did I _really_ want to be left alone in an old creepy house with the likes of Bill Compton.

There were other questions, however, that would be answered depending on his response to my interest. I waited patiently while he came up with his next lie.

He flipped his cell phone from his pocket. "Perhaps another night, Sookie. I am requested at Fangtasia this evening." He looked annoyed by that, but he'd avoided my attempts at an invite to his home as I'd suspected he would. _Bill, Bill, Bill, what are you up to?_

"Right," I said, standing up. "I'm sure you're very busy. I should get back to work." I nodded toward my only table. They were still eating. "Some other time then?"

Bill stood. "I look forward to it," he purred.

"Goodnight, Bill." I waved as he headed to the door, glad it was over.

"Oh, Sookie," Bill called, as if he'd forgotten something. He walked over as I turned. "Perhaps you would be wise to question your boss about your friend's murder."

"Sam?" I frowned. "Why?" Bill was already shaking his head. "You mean Eric?"

"Yes," he said, then leaned in as if to whisper. I had to force myself to not pull back. "I have heard that they were involved. If you know what I mean."

I did pull back at that. I thought I knew what he meant, but I wanted him to spell it out. "No, what do you mean?"

"Sex," he said, meeting my eyes. "They were having sex. Or if not that, I am certain he was feeding from her."

"Feeding?" Oh, eww. "How do you know that?" What kind of game was Bill playing at? Most importantly, was it true? And what did it mean?

"I recognized her," he admitted gravely. "From her picture in the paper," he clarified. "I had seen her at Fangtasia. With Eric."

I narrowed my eyes. I'm not sure what my expression gave away to Bill, but he seemed satisfied by it. "I'll be sure to do that," I bit out.

"Good. Have a good evening, Sookie."

He left with a wave, and I couldn't help but feel that Bill had dangled his own little worm on a hook. I'd been naïve enough to nibble at it, too, and now there was a hook in my lip. I also knew there was a reason behind it, and I wasn't so much of a fool to assume it had anything to do with Bill wanting me all to himself either.

There was something bigger going on here, and I just wasn't sitting at a wide enough angle to see the picture. Bill had played his hand well, I'll admit. Damn well.

I was still pondering how to broach the subject with Eric the following afternoon. Tara and Lafayette were at the house for lunch. I'd mixed up one of Gran's special recipes for chicken and dumplings, forgetting just how large a batch it made.

Luckily for me, they both had time to join me. Of course, once they found out what I'd cooked, they would have made the time anyway. Gran's dumpling recipe was dee-lish!

"I can't believe you're seeing someone," I said to Lafayette around a mouthful. "And you didn't even tell me about it."

It felt almost foreign to be doing something so benign. Having a normal meal, with regular ole humans, wasn't something I got to do often nowadays. It was strange, but nice. Really nice. And normal. It was just what I'd needed.

"Didn't think I had to," Lafayette accused as he tapped his head. "You know everyone's business."

I threw a roll at him. "I don't go nosing around if I can help it. You know that."

"But you _do_ go nosing around," Tara conspired.

I glared at her. "Only when my friends try to keep secrets from me." They both laughed. "So, tell me about him. Where'd you meet? What's his name? What's he like? I want all the juicy details."

At the sudden flash of nudity from Lafayette's mind, I realized that, no, I did not want all the juicy details.

"His name is Phillip. A few weeks ago, I went with Dawn and Maudette to Fangtasia. Before all," he waved a hand. It was hard to talk about for them. They'd all been friends, and hated mentioning it in front of me since I'd been the one to find her. "Before all that, you know. He was there."

"He's a vampire?" I asked, wary.

"He's so cute, Sook," Tara interjected. "He's got this reddish-blond hair, and the prettiest lips."

"Hey," Lafayette grumbled. "That's my man you're talking about, bitch."

Tara laughed, but I remained sullen. "It's serious, then?"

"Well," Lafayette sighed. "We're just starting out, but I really like him."

I could tell he did, and I wanted to be happy for him, but... "Well, you just be careful."

"Pfft, you're one to talk, girl." Tara laughed. "You work with the vamps. I thought you'd be surprised least of all."

"What? Why's that?" They were still bloodsuckers, and just because I was working for a few of them didn't mean I was willing to date one of them.

Lafayette and Tara shared a look. I could tell before they said anything that it was going to be about Eric and was instantly suspicious. I saw a perfectly clear image of him in their mind. He looked like every woman's wet dream.

"You do work for that delicious looking nugget," Lafayette purred. "Mr. Tall, Blonde and Deadly."

Tara was nodding. "So, what's that have to do with anything?" I hedged.

"Don't tell me you haven't had a taste. Dawn was green with envy when she caught him looking at you one night," she said.

"What? No, I haven't... I mean, we aren't..." _Ugh!_ "I work for him," I finally said. "It's not like that."

"Uh-huh," Lafayette said, crossing his arms. "I'd practically give my left nut for a taste of that. Phillip or not."

_Gross._

"Dawn will be relieved," Tara added, snorting at Lafayette.

He nodded. "She was planning a trip up there tonight since you's off."

"I don't have to be off for her to go to Fangtasia. I've seen her there before."

"Yeah," Lafayette grinned and leaned back in his chair. "But if you's not there then her competition ain't there." I wasn't competition. I wasn't even in the running.

Tara laughed. "Her and Maudette were trading stories one night, God rest her soul. Maudette let Eric bite her, and it made Dawn insanely jealous."

"What?" The legs of my chair squeaked when I straightened. _Oh, God!_ Bill had been right. What did that mean? Eric had said he didn't kill Maudette, and I'd believed him. I still believed him, but I was beginning to think he knew more than he'd let on.

Lafayette was chuckling. Neither him nor Tara noticed my near panic. "She was going to try to proposition your boss, what's his name?"

"Eric." I answered automatically.

"Eric, yes. Well, Dawn has it bad for the man, and she figures with you out of the way, then she's got a shot."

"I've never been in the way," I snapped.

"Riiiight," Tara drawled laughing. "You look ready to spit nails."

Oh, I was, alright. Just not for the reasons Tara thought.

There was more going on here than I realized. I wasn't sure what, exactly, but it was something. And I promised myself I'd get to the bottom of it. Maybe I didn't have enough information – or smarts, because, let's face it, I was an amateur compared to Eric – to confront him about it yet.

That was going to change.

Dawn worked the morning shift with me the next day. I could talk to her, find out what she knew – if anything – and read the truth of Eric from her mind. If there was any evidence I could use as collateral against him, circumstantial or not, I was going to need it.

I had a nice conversation planned for Eric and myself, but first, I was going to confront Dawn.

**A/N: Sadly, no Eric in this chapter. I'm pouting too. But we did get to have some fun with Pam, and I had a blast writing that. Thanks again for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will be back as soon as possible.**

**KISSES!**


	13. Grim Reaper Creeper

**A/N: I'm still running ahead of schedule. Hooray me! Only a day this time, but at least it's not a month or ten between updates. I've been guilty of worse, right?**

**Thank you so much for the comments, favorites, and alerts. You guys are amazing, and your kind words keep me banging on this here keyboard. Thanks a bunch! **

**Special thanks: EtheHunter has the patience of a saint. I'm not sure who else in the world could or would put up with me. Any and all remaining mistakes are mine.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the characters. I just get to play in their world from time to time.**

**Previously...**

_Tara laughed. "Her and Maudette were trading stories one night, God rest her soul. Maudette let Eric bite her, and it made Dawn insanely jealous."_

"_What?" The legs of my chair squeaked when I straightened. Oh, God! Bill had been right. What did that mean? Eric had said he didn't kill Maudette, and I'd believed him. I still believed him, but I was beginning to think he knew more than he'd let on._

_Lafayette was chuckling. Neither him nor Tara noticed my near panic. "She was going to try to proposition your boss, what's his name?"_

"_Eric." I answered automatically. _

"_Eric, yes. Well, Dawn has it bad for the man, and she figures with you out of the way, then she's got a shot."_

"_I've never been in the way," I snapped._

"_Riiiight," Tara drawled laughing. "You look ready to spit nails."_

_Oh, I was, alright. Just not for the reasons Tara thought._

_There was more going on here than I realized. I wasn't sure what, exactly, but it was something. And I promised myself I'd get to the bottom of it. Maybe I didn't have enough information – or smarts, because, let's face it, I was an amateur compared to Eric – to confront him about it yet._

_That was going to change._

_Dawn worked the morning shift with me the next day. I could talk to her, find out what she knew – if anything – and read the truth of Eric from her mind. If there was any evidence I could use as collateral against him, circumstantial or not, I was going to need it._

_I had a nice conversation planned for Eric and myself, but first, I was going to confront Dawn._

**SPOV**

Dawn called off for her shift the next morning. _Of course._ She couldn't just make it easy for me, could she? My life had been easy once upon a time. Well, not really, but it'd definitely been easier than what it was now.

I tried desperately not to analyze why it pissed me off so much. It wasn't jealousy that made me wonder why she couldn't come in to work like a responsible adult. I had known she was going to see Eric the night before, but I ignored the flare of rage I felt when I wondered if she'd spent the night with him.

He wasn't mine to begin with. Eric could do whatever the hell he wanted. As long as Dawn didn't turn up dead I could give a rat's ass. I _needed_ to talk to her, though, and if she wasn't here then I couldn't get the answers I sought. _That_ was what angered me about the whole thing really. Really, it was.

"What's up with you today?" Sam asked. "You seem tense."

I almost crushed a salt shaker. "I'm fine. Just fine and dandy."

He gave me a look that said he knew I was lying. "Wanna talk about it?"

I did, but I didn't. There was a part of me that trusted Sam. He was a good guy. But then there was this other part of me, this darker part, and that side of me trusted no one. Relied on no one. If I couldn't learn how to survive on my own, if I couldn't figure things _out_ on my own, then I deserved to fail.

It was a frightening side of my nature that I only recently seemed to be aware of. It had been there longer than that, sure. I'd gotten glimpses of that person a few times throughout my life. At present, I was having a more difficult time ignoring that little devil that dwelled within.

I sighed, knowing I wasn't going to open up to Sam. "I'm just tired is all. Dawn is out, and I have to work tonight..." I trailed off, figuring Sam would get the gist.

"Sorry, cher. I don't know what's up with Dawn. It's not like her to not show up for a shift without calling."

I stiffened immediately, putting down the condiment caddy so I could face him. "Didn't she call in?"

Sam shook his head. "She worked yesterday. Seemed fine then. It worries me, though, with Maudette's murderer still on the loose."

Yeah, me too. Especially since Dawn had intended to see Eric last night. Had she made it? Had something bad happened to her? Did she get snagged up on her way? Was Eric involved as Bill had said? I shook off those thoughts and gave Sam my attention. There was nothing I could do at the moment.

Later, though, that was another story.

I patted Sam's arm. "I'll run by her house after I'm done here. See if she's there. Maybe something happened to her phone."

It wouldn't be the first time Dawn's phone had been shut off because she'd forgotten to pay her bill. Not that I thought that's what the problem was. I could hear from Sam's thoughts that he'd called her house phone already. It had rang and rang and rang. Which was as foreboding as anything I'd ever heard. I had a bad feeling.

I was getting an ulcer.

Sam was in denial. "Yeah," he said, trying to assure us both. Mostly himself. "Yeah. You don't mind? I don't want to put you out any."

I shook my head. "I don't mind. It's not too far out of the way. I'll call and let you know once I find her."

Perhaps it was wrong of me to coddle Sam, but the words just came out. If anything had happened to Dawn, it wouldn't do Sam any good to worry himself about it now. If I could save him from some of the guilt he was sure to feel if Dawn was in trouble, it was the least I could do.

"If you're sure," Sam pressed. At my nod, he seemed relieved. I went back to restocking supplies. "Hey. I've been meaning to ask you, what's up with the bruises?" _Oh, shit._ "You're looking a bit banged up. Nothing I need to be worried about, is there?"

I was hoping he hadn't noticed. The bangles around my wrist covered most of them, but if they fell just the right way, the bruises were exposed. It was the best I could do with what I had on hand. If Pam's session with me continued to be as brutal, I would need to invest in full body armor. Or more jewelry.

On one hand, it seemed as if some of the effect of Eric's blood were wearing off. For that first week, I'd gone to sleep with cuts and bruises only to wake up and be perfectly healed. So that was good news. The sooner Eric's blood quit screwing with my body and my dreams the better.

On the other hand, that meant I wasn't prepared for Sam's inquisition. My bruises weren't healing like they once did. "I...uh... I've just been doubling up on my training sessions," I rubbed my sore wrists self-consciously. "They've been pretty tough."

Sam looked skeptical. "They get that physical with self-defense, huh?"

"Yeah, well, I sort of asked for it." I only realized I sounded like an abused wife after I said it.

"Sookie – "

"I don't mean it like that. It's just," I waved my arms around. "With all this going on, with Maudette and whatnot, I just felt the need to... I don't know, beef up a bit." I tried to laugh, but it came out a little shaky. "It's really no big deal, Sam."

"Beef up, huh?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "You know, if you think you need some kind of protection... whatever, you know I'm here, right? It ain't right that you take a beating like that. You shouldn't have to fight."

I got a little angry at that. I couldn't help it. The lioness in me reared her head up in challenge. "You think I'm too weak to take care of myself, Sam?"

He instantly backtracked. "I didn't say that, Sookie. You're a very capable woman. I'm just saying you shouldn't _have_ to."

"But I do," I said, trying to keep my temper in check. "I am perfectly able and strong. I can fight my own battles."

Sam held up his hands and took a step back. "Alright, cher. Just don't forget you've got people you can lean on. You're not all alone here."

I went back to work, thinking about his words. Sam was wrong. I _was_ all alone. Maybe there were people I could trust in certain situations, but there was no one I could trust in _every_ situation. Some things I just had to deal with by myself, and that was okay. I was used to it.

There's an old saying that goes something like, "Hope for the best, but expect the worst." My Gran used to say that was bull hockey. She said, "If you expect the worst, you'll get the worst."

I hadn't really thought about what that could mean until I was on my way to Dawn's house later that afternoon. Was that what I was doing? Expecting the worst? Probably, if I was being honest. I'd been sort of down in the dumps for a couple days now.

One thing after another, it seemed, kept happening to me, or around me, or to someone I knew. Once upon a time, I led a relatively normal life. With all the intrigue and murder and suspicion going on, it was impossible not to feel as if my life suddenly had it out for me.

Was the Grim Reaper creeping at my backdoor? Sleeping out in the shed? Hanging out in the bushes at Merlotte's? Out there waiting for the precise moment when I let my guard down to make his move? It felt like it.

So, yes, I admitted, I was expecting the worst. At every turn, from every person I knew, I expected the worst possible scenario or reaction and prepared for that. It was sad, I realized later, that I'd given up hope so completely.

Gran had went further by saying, "Everything is miserable without hope."

I hadn't known how true that was until I knocked on Dawn's door. It creaked open as soon as my knuckles made contact. I just _knew_ something was wrong. I erred in expecting the worst. My worst didn't come close.

I pushed the door wider, calling, "Hello," as I stepped over the threshold. "Dawn? Are you here?"

I took stock of the living room. Tidy. No sign of a struggle. There was a box of half-eaten take-out sitting on the coffee table, but everything else seemed like it was in its proper place. I'd visited her place a few times, but I had no way of knowing for sure if anything was out of place. Nothing looked awry. After peeking in the kitchen, I moved back to the bedroom.

I kept hollering as I walked through, but I got no response.

To make it clear exactly how prepared I was for the absolute worst, I'll just tell you now, I had my cellphone already in hand when I turned the knob and pushed Dawn's bedroom door open. Andy's contact number was on the screen.

I dialed without stepping a foot into that room and went back outside.

"Why is it, Ms. Stackhouse," Andy was saying. He'd arrived within minutes, since the police station was a few blocks away. He didn't look any happier to see me than I was him. "I keep finding you next to dead bodies?"

I was shaken, I'll go ahead and admit it. "I didn't do it," I whispered.

"And yet here you are," his harsh tone accused.

My eyes felt watery, but the tears wouldn't fall. I couldn't let them. "It's not my fault," I tried.

Andy was having nothing of it. "I'm going to need to take you down to the station."

My wide eyes jerked to his. "Am I a suspect?"

"You're not NOT a suspect," he said, not really answering my question. "Kevin here will take you in for further questioning."

I nodded numbly and stood to follow Kevin. He held the back door of his cruiser open for me. "Am I under arrest?"

Kevin looked slightly more sympathetic than Andy did, which isn't saying much. He, at least, didn't _think_ I was guilty. He just thought I knew more than I was letting on. "Not yet. In the car, Ms. Stackhouse."

I obeyed, feeling like a wrongfully accused criminal. Maybe I wasn't under arrest – yet, as Kevin had said – but they were definitely treating me like a suspect. Kevin himself fingerprinted me when we arrived at the police station, then stuffed me in an empty room that housed a single chair.

"Wait a minute," I called as he moved to shut me in. "Don't I get a phone call?"

Kevin sighed, pointing out, "I didn't take away your cellphone, Sookie."

"Oh," I replied, feeling like a total dumbass. "Thanks." Seeing Dawn had hit me even harder than finding Maudette had.

With nothing to do but wait, I pulled out my phone and watched the clock. It hadn't been dark yet when we arrived at the station, so I knew I couldn't call Fangtasia to let them know I wouldn't be in. I called Sam and filled him in.

"_This is my fault,_" he said. "_I should have went over there myself. I shouldn't have sent you._"

He hadn't sent me. I'd sent myself. "I offered," I told him.

"_Yeah, well, I should've put up more of a fight._"

Perhaps. I could be pretty stubborn when I wanted to. "It's fine. I'll be outta here in no time." I hoped.

Sam grumbled some more, blaming himself, of course, before saying, "_If you need bail money, or whatever, give me a call. We'll figure something out._"

I appreciated the offer and the sentiment. I just hoped like hell I didn't need it. "Thanks, Sam." I hung up.

I kept my eye on the digital clock, occasionally pushing the button on the side when the light would time out. At exactly seven fifty-nine, I dialed Fangtasia. The Bon Temps police were going to be a while. I'd already been there for two hours.

I was relieved beyond belief when Pam picked up. "It's Sookie."

"_Why aren't you here?_" she asked, first thing.

"I'm in jail." Sort of. It wasn't a lie, at least. "I'll call you back later."

Pam's voice kept me from clicking end. "_My, my, Sookie, things are never uninteresting around you, are they?_"

It was rhetorical, but I answered anyway. "Unfortunately, no. Bye, Pam."

With that done, I stuffed my phone in my pocket and crossed my legs. I couldn't think. It was as if all my previous linear processing abilities had flown out the window. Cognitive thought was gone. I was in shock, I realized later.

All I could see was blood splattered sheets. Pale skin, again, covered in blood. Dead, flat eyes. Images, horrific images, flickered like a slasher movie behind my eyes. Everything was black, white, and red. So very red.

When they finally came in to question me, even I could hear my voice was monotone. Andy, Kevin and Kenya were all there. They were all suspicious of me in their own way. Andy did most of the talking, with Kenya taking notes and Kevin standing ominously in one corner.

"Did you kill Dawn?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who killed her?"

"No."

"We know you work for vampires, Ms. Stackhouse."

It wasn't a question, so it didn't warrant a response. I hadn't made that a secret, therefore, I didn't really get why they'd brought it up. I stayed silent. They would say more, I knew it. It didn't take long.

"You saw the way she was brutalized, how does that make you feel?"

I had, and even as I remembered the gruesome scene, how similar and yet how different it had been from Maudette's in the woods that early morning, I couldn't dredge up enough emotion to respond with nothing more than an, "I don't know."

"She was raped."

I hadn't known that, but after thinking about it, what I saw on the lower half of her torso now made sense. I should have felt sick. I wanted to puke. All that blood. It was just this side of a massacre; if there was such a thing.

"I'm sorry," was all I had to offer. My tone was as dead as Dawn.

"We will be able to pull DNA."

It was a threat to me. I wondered how they'd drawn the conclusion that I had violated and butchered her in such a way. I didn't have the right equipment, first of all. Second, did they _really_ think me capable of such a thing?

It was, however, a ray of sunshine on an otherwise dreary day. If they could get a sample of the killer's DNA through his semen or some other bodily fluid, then they could catch him and this nightmare would finally end.

The choir of angels singing, cut off with a shriek at his next words. "It will take time."

There's always a catch, though, isn't there?

Bon Temps Police Department didn't have the equipment or the resources to handle such a thing. The lab here consisted of one nurse who knew how to take blood, a microscope that looked identical to the one I'd used in sixth grade, a fridge, and a microwave – I think it doubled as a break room. They could no more track one's genetic make up than I could.

They'd have to send it off to someone else, possibly as far as New Orleans, and that would take time. Precious time that we didn't have.

"But we'll catch him."

Of course they would, but how many others would die before that happened? This made two already. Who would be next? I was suddenly restless. I needed to get out of there. I needed to do something. I felt wild, like a caged animal. "Can I go now?"

"You're free to leave," Andy said.

I stood and immediately walked to the door. It was locked, so I stood there blinking at it. Andy came over to open it for me. His voice was sharper than I'd ever heard it as he leaned close enough to growl in my ear.

"If I have any reason, if I even _suspect_ you know more than you're telling me, I'll bring you up on charges so fast, Ms. Stackhouse, it'll make your head spin. Can you afford an attorney?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Well, you're working for those vamps, maybe they can hire one for you. It'd be the least they could do if you're hiding something for one of them."

"I don't think it's a vampire, Andy. I can't be sure, but something... something tells me it's not."

"You let us worry about the details." He gave me a gentle shove toward the exit. "Don't leave town."

It was nearly three in the morning when I finally made it home. I was so tired I couldn't think straight, but so wired I couldn't rest. Even when I did sleep, horrible nightmares would wake me. I'd scream. Then I cried.

I was off the next day, aside from the session I had scheduled with Pam, but I couldn't just sit around the house and do nothing. I started a load of laundry, since it'd piled up on me, and then I left on foot.

At first, I was just walking, but that turned into a run, and before I knew it I was back at the exact spot I'd found Maudette. Nothing remained. Not a bit of blood, or evidence of any kind would have alerted me that something traumatic had occurred there.

I sat on the ground, facing the tree, and waited.

For lightening, I supposed. For Maudette's ghost to walk out of the woods and tell me the whole sordid tale. Tell me who her killer was. Tell me how I was supposed to stop them. Advise me on what to do about Andy. Nothing happened though.

My mind did begin to move, slowly at first, but increasingly fast as I started processing the finer points.

Had Eric killed Dawn?

It was the first question, and the last question to be affixed in my mind. The evidence looked bad for him, but it was all too clean. _Too_ obvious. Maybe Eric and I had our differences, but I couldn't picture him doing something like this.

If Eric had been seeing Maudette before and he'd killed her, why would he have acted the way he had when I confronted him for advice? Sure, he'd been a pain in the ass about it, but he had eventually opened up.

He'd not censored much.

If Eric was the killer, would he have told me that Maudette's murderer _could_ have been a vampire? Why would he incriminate himself in such a way? It didn't make sense.

Then I thought about Dawn. Supposedly she'd gone to see Eric the night before her death. Or the night of. I wasn't quite certain on the time line. Dawn could just as easily have died early that morning as the previous night. Her body had still been leaking blood, so I thought it was probably closer to morning than it was evening. I wasn't an expert, but that felt right.

So, if it had been during the morning, that would eliminate every vampire as a potential suspect. Right? But what kind of human, what sort of sick bastard, could do such things to a woman? I remembered something else Eric had said. It made him look a little more innocent, or more guilty depending on which way I processed it, after I thought about it both ways.

Vampires could bury themselves for the day, if they needed to. Could the murderer have done his deed so close to sunrise that he was forced to dig himself a hole in the dirt? Could he still be in Dawn's yard, right now?

I ran straight home, and went to the shed around back. After tossing a shovel in the trunk of my car, along with a few stakes and silver daggers, I drove like a demon to Dawn's house. I felt better with a purpose than I had in days. I thought about calling Sam, seeing as how his sense of smell was so keen, but discarded the idea quickly. I didn't want to involve anyone else if I could help it.

I crept by slowly at first, checking to see if there were any cops around. I guessed they'd gathered whatever it was they needed, because aside from the caution tape, there wasn't a sign of anything out of the ordinary. I wasn't going inside anyway.

I parked about a block away, shut off the engine and got out of the car, leaving my goods behind for the moment. After ducking under the police tape, and peering over my shoulder for the fiftieth time, I walked around her yard.

I was looking for any irregularities. It would be nearby, I assumed, because the vampire – if that's what the killer was – wouldn't have had time to go far. They wouldn't have had much time to cover their tracks either.

I searched for bare spots, places that appeared to be fiddled with. Darker brown soil where there should have been dry dirt, baked by exposure to the sun. When I found nothing in Dawn's yard, I moved to the houses on either side of hers. Then the three directly behind those.

I was so sure I'd find something, it was like a punch to the gut when I didn't. I went back to my house feeling depressed and incompetent. I wished, not for the last time, I had someone I could call. Bounce theories around with. Seek counsel with. Surely, there was someone out there that was more savvy than I?

Sam? I debated calling him for the longest. Tara or Lafayette? Could I even trust any of them? My faith had been shaken, to be honest, and I just wasn't sure about anyone anymore.

Even if I could, wouldn't I just be bringing them in harms way by involving them? Would I, by asking for their opinions or help, ultimately cause their death? The potentially awful answer to that question made me sick, and I knew I wouldn't call them. Not even Sam, who I was sure could protect himself.

Aside from all that, I wasn't certain that any one of the people I _would_ call could give me the right perspective. All of them would be biased in some way or another. Sam especially since he was a shifter, and I got the impression that those species – vampires and shifters – didn't exactly get along.

Even Pam, who I knew I would be seeing in a few hours, would be partial to one theory over another. I couldn't count on anyone to look at the facts with fresh and neutral eyes, and I was beginning to think that maybe I couldn't either. Maybe. Was I caught up, too much in the middle of it all?

However, left on my own with no other options, I continued with my guesswork. There was one theory, though, that I kept circling back to. Even as I dressed to head over to the training center, it insinuated itself into my thoughts.

Eric had bitten Maudette, maybe more.

Dawn had gone to see Eric, possibly been bitten by him, and there was the more factor that applied there as well. Had they had sex? That didn't matter.

When I'd told Eric about Maudette in the beginning, he'd said something about possibly being able to smell the killer on her. He'd also said something about chemicals and human police, insinuating they could screw up the scent. He'd said these things, but he hadn't offered to go check it out, had he? Could he have glamoured his way in and out, without the police being any the wiser?

Likely, he easily _could_ have, but he had not. Was it just because he didn't see it as his problem? Maybe if I'd asked him to, he would have went and checked it out. I sighed. Another screw up on my part.

All roads were leading back to Eric. Was he guilty? Or was someone trying to make it _look_ like he was?

I was leaning toward the latter, but I'd need more information – information I wasn't sure how to go about getting – to be positive.

As I drove to meet Pam, I decided I'd prod her for answers. I'd have to be delicate about it, so she wouldn't clam up on me, but maybe I could ferret out a little something before that happened.

I parked by a sportier car than what I was used to seeing Pam drive. It was flashy and red. Pam's car, when she drove that is, was a silver minivan. I should have been suspicious then. But it wasn't unlike Pam to just arrive on foot, so I figured she may just have another car.

I should have left. Turned right around at the sight of a strange car, and driven my ass immediately back home.

Instead, I walked in and dropped my bag on the mat, setting out a few of my materials. My Sai's looked very pretty framed in the bright red of the exercise mat. I didn't see Pam anywhere but I could hear her lurking about somewhere. After I'd finished my stretches, I performed a few sun salutations to get my blood flowing and warm up my muscles.

I was in downward dog when a tall, male figure flashed into view, directly between my legs. I didn't stop to think, simply reacted, rolling into a somersault, grabbing one of the Sai's on my way over, and flicking it with deadly accuracy as I landed on one knee and one foot.

I recognized Eric's face a second too late. The blade had already left my hand and was sailing through the air, straight for his chest. "Oh, shit," I had time to say.

Eric caught it with blinding speed, a breath before it would have punctured his heart. "Nice shot," he said, smiling.

"I could have killed you," I said in a rush of air. All tension released from my muscles and I sagged to the floor, landing flat on my ass. "What the hell are you doing here?"

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know. Not any Eric – aside from this at the end – in this chapter either. On a positive note, we see a lot of him in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance to those of you who take the time to review. Your words are like candy. I love candy.**

**I'll be back with a new chapter as soon as I can. **

**KISSES!**


	14. Riddle Me Glamoured

**A/N: I love you guys, and your comments. I read them, each and every one. Forgive me for not replying to you all. I can't thank you enough, or properly express how much they mean to me. **

**Special thanks: EtheHunter whipped this bad boy into shape. And I do mean, bad boy. Over 7k words of my foolery. Any remaining mistakes are my own fault for fiddling with her hard work.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the characters. **

**Previously...**

_All roads were leading back to Eric. Was he guilty? Or was someone trying to make it look like he was?_

_I was leaning toward the latter, but I'd need more information – information I wasn't sure how to go about getting – to be positive._

_As I drove to meet Pam, I decided I'd prod her for answers. I'd have to be delicate about it, so she wouldn't clam up on me, but maybe I could ferret out a little something before that happened._

_I parked by a sportier car than what I was used to seeing Pam drive. It was flashy and red. Pam's car, when she drove that is, was a silver minivan. I should have been suspicious then. But it wasn't unlike Pam to just arrive on foot, so I figured she may just have another car._

_I should have left. Turned right around at the sight of a strange car, and driven my ass immediately back home._

_Instead, I walked in and dropped my bag on the mat, setting out a few of my materials. My Sai's looked very pretty framed in the bright red of the exercise mat. I didn't see Pam anywhere but I could hear her lurking about somewhere. After I'd finished my stretches, I performed a few sun salutations to get my blood flowing and warm up my muscles. _

_I was in downward dog when a tall, male figure flashed into view, directly between my legs. I didn't stop to think, simply reacted, rolling into a somersault, grabbing one of the Sai's on my way over, and flicking it with deadly accuracy as I landed on one knee and one foot._

_I recognized Eric's face a second too late. The blade had already left my hand and was sailing through the air, straight for his chest. "Oh, shit," I had time to say._

_Eric caught it with blinding speed, a breath before it would have punctured his heart. "Nice shot," he said, smiling._

"_I could have killed you," I said in a rush of air. All tension released from my muscles and I sagged to the floor, landing flat on my ass. "What the hell are you doing here?" _

**SPOV**

In hindsight it probably wasn't my brightest moment. Eric was a possible murderer, for crying out loud! But it wasn't like it was so far out of the norm for me to fly off the handle. Especially when it came to Eric.

"I should've known it was you," I went on. I tried to stand, but my legs still felt rubbery. I leaned back on my palms instead.

When I'd had time to process it, I realized that I could feel Eric's presence. That foreign, and strangely thrilling, sensation that crawled just beneath the surface of my skin, and hummed in my bones. That was Eric's blood. It wasn't as absent from my system as I had hoped.

Eric looked amused. "How's that?"

I shrugged, trying to look at ease. "Red sports car and all. How appropriate."

He took a few steps closer. I hoped he didn't plan to kill me. That would _really_ ruin my day. "I do like to move fast."

I'll just bet he did. "You know what they say about men who drive flashy cars," I said, blasé.

He'd moved close enough to reach out and touch. From my prone position in the floor, I had stare up to meet his gaze. He towered over me like a skyscraper. Could he be the killer? Was I the world's largest idiot for not running away screaming? Was he the creature capable of such unimaginable horrors?

Eric gave me a strange look. Confusion, perhaps, turned his lips down at the corners. "I do not know what you mean."

_Ah._ I smiled. I really couldn't help it. Then I glanced down, deliberately stopping about midway to eye his crotch, slowly letting my gaze rise back to his. I wore a smirk, despite my attempts to hold it in. "Overcompensating for something, perhaps?"

The satisfaction I felt by the look on his face was so brief I may as well not have felt it. Nothing in the world could have prepared me for his next action. Nothing at all. Not in a million years would I have foreseen he'd do such a thing.

Eric's hands dropped to his crotch and undid his zipper, quick as a flash. "Care to find out?"

I sputtered, covering my eyes with my hands just in case he tried to drop his pants. "Put it away. I believe you, God, just put it away." I couldn't believe he'd almost whipped it out in front of me. I felt beyond embarrassed.

"I am quite...proportionate, if you know what I mean."

_Boy_, did I. And I'm ashamed to admit that I got a sudden and very vivid mental picture of Eric sans clothes. My throat was dry when I spoke. "Please, just zip up your pants."

I didn't dare uncover my eyes until I heard the buzz of his zipper being raised. I even waited to hear his next words before I felt even a modicum of safety. "All is well," he chuckled.

Oh, I sincerely doubted that, but at least I felt confident enough to look around freely again. Sort of. I could feel myself blushing. "Where's Pam?" I asked, rising to stand. I ignored Eric's proffered hand.

"She had errands," he offered. For a moment I was relieved, thinking that I'd get to go home. I'd told Eric I wouldn't fight with him, but then he said, "I will be teaching you tonight."

"Like hell you will," came out before I could stop it.

I started grabbing up my gear. This was not how I'd planned my night to go. Everything had been shot to shit. Pam wasn't there; Eric was. I wasn't prepared to confront him with my theories _or_ start slinging accusations at him just yet. I still needed more information.

Aside from that, I'd needed to vent. I'd needed to get rid of some steam. I had hoped to do that with Pam, via my fists and sweat, maybe a drop of blood. Instead, I was face-to-face with the vampire involved on a personal level with two out of two murder victims. I was not prepared for that at all.

"I'm not fighting you," I finally continued, shaking my head.

"Don't worry, Sookie," Eric said, stilling me with a hand on my elbow. "What we're training you for tonight, is not hand-to-hand combat."

I was almost too afraid to ask. "Are you going to tell me, or what?"

He turned to walk away from me, talking as those long legs of his ate up the floor. "Pam made the suggestion you learn how to simulate glamour. I agree."

"What? Why can't Pam do it?" Outrageous! Part of me thought Eric simply got some kind of enjoyment out of irritating and provoking me. I admit to enjoying it, myself, which was why I was so convinced he liked it, too.

"As I said, she had errands." He spun to face me, spreading his hands wide. "I am yours for the night."

Why did that sound like he meant so much more than he said? Probably, because he did. "Lucky me," I muttered.

I set my bag back down on the floor. It would only make me look _more_ suspicious if I tried to get out of it, so I supposed I was stuck working with Eric for the night. I didn't need him getting even a _hint_ that I was wary of him. Well, at least not any _more_ wary than I already had been.

"But first though, I'd like to know how you landed yourself in prison last night."

Ugh! Jeez. "I wasn't in prison," I said simply.

I was willing to leave it at that, but of course, Eric wasn't. "Tell me what happened."

"They took me in for questioning," I answered. "Another girl was murdered. I found her."

I watched his expression. For any sign. Any hint that he knew what I was talking about. There was nothing but a seemingly, genuine curiosity with maybe a dash of concern. "Again?" he asked, eyebrows arched.

A tentative plan began to form in my brain. Was it smart? I wasn't sure. Would it work? I _really_ wasn't sure. I bent over and grabbed the framed photo from my bag, then handed it to Eric. He took it, eyeing the picture with mild interest.

"That's Maudette, the one I found in the woods," I pointed to her. "This is Dawn. She didn't show up for work yesterday. I found her in her bed yesterday afternoon." My finger shifted to the right, tapping lightly against the glass.

It was a picture of the two of them, along with Lafayette, Tara and Arlene. I'd taken it myself one night at Merlotte's, about a year before. A little more, perhaps, since the crew was wearing the winter uniform. Sam had it hung on the wall behind the bar. I'd stolen it. I intended on asking Pam if she remembered them, but now, well, now I just wanted to see how Eric would respond.

"Do you recognize them?"

His expression remained annoyingly impassive as he said, "I have tasted that one," he pointed at Maudette. "But this one," he tapped on finger over Dawn's face, "I found her too... desperate."

There was just the slightest hint of disgust in his voice at that. I couldn't bring myself to be bothered by it. I'd heard on more than one occasion what many people – not exclusively fangbangers either – thought of the prospect of vampire bites. Many, too many, were enthralled by the idea. It was sickening, and I could easily understand Eric's disgust, even if it weren't for the same reasons.

"You didn't think to tell me this when I talked to you about Maudette before?"

I was sure I had him there until he said, "I did not care enough to know her name. I drank of her, nothing more." He shrugged, as if it was no big deal. To him, I'm sure it wasn't. "Even if I had known her name, you did not mention it. Only that a woman, with whom you went to school, had been killed in Bon Temps."

I thought about it and realized I hadn't mentioned a name. Even if I had, and I just didn't remember it, what could Eric possibly gain from lying about that? Something about the answer, the tone maybe, possibly the way it rang of truth had me believing him. I took the photo from his hands.

"Damn it, Eric," I shook the picture in his face. I dropped the bomb. It felt good as it fell from my lips. "Did you kill them?" Screw my plans; I was improvising.

I was frustrated. Completely at wits end, with seemingly nowhere else to go. I wasn't really angry at him, and I think Eric realized that. His expression softened. "I assure you, I did not."

I released a breath, my entire body deflating with the action. "I think someone is trying to frame you," I said, throwing it out there.

It was the only thing I'd been able to come up with. All fingers were pointing to a vampire, and Eric seemed to be connected to all the victims. It seemed the most logical to me. Maybe it wasn't, but it was the best I had.

I was mostly just winging it. But I believed him when he said he didn't kill them. It would be nice to see what he thought of my theories. It would be nice to have someone to help me the hell out. I was drowning all on my own.

"Funny," he said, chuckling lightly. "I was going to say the same thing."

"Really?" I felt almost giddy with excitement. If Eric was thinking on the same track that I was, then I maybe I wasn't the total failure I was beginning to see myself as. Maybe I wasn't a complete idiot. It was such a relief.

Then Eric dropped a bomb of his own. "What I can't figure out is why? Why would someone want to frame you for murder?" Or maybe I was utterly stupid.

"Me?" I squeaked. "What? I was talking about you." Now it was my turn to get all up in his personal space. He'd thrown me for a loop with that, that was for sure.

"Me?" he frowned. "Why would someone be framing me?"

"Because you're a vampire," I said, as if that was enough of a reason.

"But you said yourself you didn't think it was a vampire. I agree."

"Yeah, but it only _looks_ like a vampire," I argued. "Why would they make it appear as though a vampire was killing people if they're trying to blame me for it? That doesn't make sense."

"You work for vampires," was all Eric said.

I gave him an expectant look; he eyed me as if willing me to put two and two together. Only when I did the math the answer was four; Eric had managed to come up with five. "And?" I pressed.

"Whoever is trying to set you up, could be making it look as if you're doing it at the behest of a vampire."

"Why would they do that? Why would _I_ do that? You certainly don't pay me enough to go around butchering folks."

Eric laughed and touched my nose. I took a step back as I swatted his hand away. "Glamour, Sookie. Anyone could be glamoured to do much more heinous crimes if a vampire willed it so."

I was still shaking my head. "But I can't be glamoured."

"Ah," Eric proclaimed, "But they don't know that."

"Well, I'll have to tell them."

Eric looked at me strangely. "If I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed it. What makes you think your human police will believe you?"

"I..." I didn't really have an answer for that. They already thought I was crazy as a loon. Andy especially.

Instead, Andy's words kept playing over in my head from the night before. What was it he'd said? They'd mentioned more than once that they knew I was working for vampires. And something about me hiding things for them. _God!_ Was Eric right? How could I have been so blind?

Eric wasn't done yet though, and if I hadn't been convinced before, I would be. "Why is it that you particularly keep finding these bodies, Sookie? One of the girls, this Dawn, I know you worked with her. I think it was set up so that you would find her."

"Yeah, but how could they have known I'd go over to check on her? Sam was going to do it."

"Because you're a bleeding heart."

"Am not."

Eric continued as if I hadn't spoken. "And if there was even the slightest of chances you'd find her dead, you would have saved your shifter friend from seeing that. Whoever is playing this game knows you very well."

He kind of had me there, to be honest. I'd thought that myself before I'd volunteered to go check on Dawn. I really hadn't wanted Sam to be the one to find her. I frowned and began to pace. Eric stayed silent. My mind ran in circles.

"Maudette!" I exclaimed a moment later. "There's no way anyone could have guessed I'd find her. She was in the middle of the woods."

Eric looked as if he'd already thought that through, too. I felt a rock settle in my stomach. What else had I missed?

"How often do you run, my Sookie?"

"At least four mornings a week, but I'm not sure why that matters."

"And how often do you think you take the same path?"

"I..." I thought about it. "I'm not sure." Where I'd found Maudette was near the stream that ran through the woods, and I frequently jogged alongside it for its peaceful and melodic rippling. "Oh, God!"

"Any vampire with even the slightest of talent would be able to scent out each of your trails through the woods. I did, and it was not hard to distinguish the one you most often circuited. It is my belief that she was planted there as well."

"Oh, God," I repeated. I sat down with a plop. I had to. My legs would no longer support my weight. "But why? Why me? I don't understand."

"That," Eric answered as he knelt in front of me, "I do not know."

I looked up sharply at him. It was easy to see he was as frustrated as I that we seemed to have no answer for that. But what I didn't understand was the hint of fear, the slight bit of sympathy. I think I felt that more than heard it, but it was there. Something else too. I wasn't sure what that flicker was, but it made me trust him, just a little bit.

My voice was a shaky whisper when I finally spoke. "What do I do? What _can_ I do?"

I wanted help. _Needed_ it. If someone was so intent on framing me for murder, then I had to find out who it was, how to prove my innocence, and definitely stop it from happening again. So many ways my life – or more importantly someone else's – could go horribly wrong.

Eric's eyes were surprisingly soft. His face disturbingly handsome. It made him look... kind. Inhumanly human.

"Perhaps it would be best if we began this evening's lesson."

"What the hell for? If I'm going to jail, knowing how to pretend I'm a fangbanger isn't going to help me."

"Oh, but it will," Eric said and stood. I took his hand that time, only because I wasn't sure of my legs just yet. "No court of law, especially not your human one, would convict a person not in their right mind of murder and imprison them for it. A human under vampire control is definitely not in their right mind. A winning case could be made on your behalf with that alone as a defense."

He had a brilliant point, and it gave me a little bit of hope. "What are you suggesting?"

"If you're convincing enough that you were under glamour, you could get off with a slap on the wrist. Perhaps a little mental evaluation. Nothing more."

"You think I should lie?"

"Absolutely."

"But..." What other choice did I have? The voice of reason pressed. I shook my head and frowned up at Eric. "I don't think I'm a good enough actress for that." Besides, how could I know if it would really work? I asked Eric the same thing.

He shrugged. "I suppose your court of law has its flaws, as do they all, but if you play it right, gain their sympathies, persuade your peers just enough... It is much better than the alternative, Sookie, and unfortunately, it is the best I have to offer at present."

He earned another point there. It _was_ better than the alternative. I would not do well in prison. All those minds criminals, murderers, rapists and otherwise, in such close quarters... I shivered at the thought. "Tell me what I need to do."

Eric gave me a smile, a genuine smile, that had my lips curving in return. That is, before he spoke. "You have seen, as well as heard with your telepathy, humans under vampire glamour."

"Yes." Unfortunately. And I had no clue's on how to begin faking that. That empty-brained nothingness. That will-is-not-my-own puppet with strings.

"Good. That should help. If you could ape what behavior you've seen..." he trailed off, shrugging, as if it were that simple.

I glared. Then I crossed my arms. Eric was waiting for something. Waiting for me to play, dance, pretend, I don't know what. I tapped my foot. When he finally realized I didn't know where to start, he stepped closer. I tilted my head back.

"Maybe it would help if you tell me how it feels."

"How what feels?"

I felt it then as he caught my eyes, the slight press of his mind against mine. "Normally a human is not aware of it when I press my will into theirs. I slip in, like fingers to a glove. You are aware, I can tell. What does it feel like?"

"Weird." Obviously that wasn't enough because he pressed harder. I resisted the urge to scratch at my scalp. "Like bugs," I said, squirming uncomfortably. "It... sort of tickles, like millions of ants crawling all over my head."

He stopped then and I relaxed. "And you've felt this before." At my nod he asked, "When? Who?"

"Pam," I said, "Of course, you. And then Bill."

Eric's jaw went tight, the muscles twitching as he spoke. "I do not trust that Mr. Compton. It would do you well to steer clear of him."

I laughed a little. "You seem to be helping me with that," I hinted. At Eric's smirk, I knew I had assumed correctly. He was trying to keep Bill and I from working together. Good. "He still lives in the neighborhood."

"Unfortunately," Eric growled. "So," he continued, getting back to the subject, "how does it feel, what do you hear when you happen across a glamoured human?"

I thought about it, how to answer that. "Like empty space. There are no thoughts," I looked off into the room, not really seeing as I remembered.

"It's scary. There's a hum to it, like a song or something, only I can't understand its tune. Their mind is completely taken over by the vampires, and it's kind of like... I don't know, that void I get from y'all has attached itself to their thoughts, only I can hear it more clearly. Like the static on a TV, just turned up a bit."

"So you no longer hear their thoughts?"

"Yes and no," I said, trying to make sense of it. "I can push through that, that emptiness, and seek out certain thoughts if I try, or if someone asks them a direct question," I shrugged, not thinking this was helping at all. "Otherwise, it's like they're absent from their own mind. They've switched off."

Eric nodded thoughtfully, his gaze distant as well. "It will not be easy to mimic, especially for you." I opened my mouth to argue, but knew he was right. "You are a warrior by nature," he continued. "A fighter. It will go against your every instinct not to push back against that."

"This is pointless," I sighed. I was _so_ going to prison.

He grabbed my hands and pulled me to a stop before I could turn around. "I would like to try something." _You aren't going to like it_, went unsaid. "Do you trust me?"

I snorted. "No."

He dropped a kiss to my forehead. I think I was simply too shocked to move to avoid it. "Good."

"Umm – "

"Shh," he hummed and pulled back, meeting my stare. I felt my face heat. "Try to relax." Yeah, that was totally _not_ happening. "Close your eyes. Only once you feel me there. I want to see if you can tell what it is I'm trying to get you to do. Close your eyes and focus on it," he commanded again. His voice was soft, his eyes held no hint of amusement.

"No funny business?"

"On my honor as – "

I snorted again but nodded. I knew how that one went. "Go ahead. But I'll kick your ass if you try anything."

"I'll hold you to that," Eric said with a laugh. Then his voice was serious again. "Focus."

The tingling sensation began and my hands jerked as it intensified. Only Eric's grip kept me from clawing at my scalp. "I can't – "

"Hush, woman. Focus."

I closed my eyes but stuck my tongue out at him. The strange feeling continued in my hair, my ears even falling victim to the ant's parade. There was a flash of an image. Eric kissing me, sucking my tongue into his mouth. I stumbled back, eyes wide open.

Eric's long fingers bound my wrists so I didn't fall. "W...what?" I stuttered.

"What did you feel?"

"Uh, I..." I blushed, biting my lip.

"Now is not the time to be modest, Sookie. Tell me."

I couldn't bring myself to look at him. My voice was light and timid. "You kissed me. I saw it."

"If it is a kiss you seek, all you have to do is ask," Eric said, his tone teasing.

I narrowed my eyes and finally looked at him. "I didn't ask for that. Is that what you were doing? Trying to get me to kiss you? I told you no funny business."

Eric looked offended. "You didn't do it anyway; I don't know why you're acting so exacerbated by my attempt. I simply tried to coerce you into kissing me. And just as I said you would, you locked up tight. Stop being so hard-headed."

I lifted an eyebrow at him. "And you couldn't just try to, I don't know, ask me to hop around on one foot or something?"

"Where's the fun in that?" His smirk had me damn near stomping my foot. This was getting nowhere.

"Eric!"

"Alright. Alright," he said and held his hands up. "I'll try something else, tell me what you see."

"One more time," I warned as I moved to take his hands again, "And if you act up, I'll be taking my hard-headed self home."

Eric looked amused as hell, and it was impossible not to smile at him. "Concentrate."

I did, and almost immediately I was hit with his glamour. My eyes sealed shut. It took less time than it had the first time before it became almost overwhelming. But I got nothing. Not even a blip. "Nothing," I said through my teeth. "I'm getting nothing." I yanked at my hands, trying to free them so I could scratch, but Eric stopped his assault the same instant. I felt my shoulders relax.

"Hmm," he stepped back and dropped my hands, looking at me. No, looking _through_ me. I wasn't sure which was worse. Eric trying to impress his will on mine? Or Eric trying to get a look at what made me tick? "How strange. Very well," he said, seeming to come back to earth. "Another tactic perhaps."

"You're the expert," I said, trying to shrug off that exposed feeling.

"It would have been easier if you could catch on to the vampires intent then simply do it," Eric went on. "This will be much harder."

"What?" I asked warily.

Eric's face was serious, but there was also a hint of playfulness. I knew that whatever he had in mind, however unpleasant it may be for me, he was going to enjoy it. At least on some level. For perhaps the millionth time that night, I thought about leaving.

"As I said before, you will fight against it. A vampire would not have to use glamour on a human that is willing to do something," he paused, as if waiting for me to catch on to his thoughts. I was blind and stupid. I had no clue. He sighed. "For you to be able to fake it convincingly, you'll have to learn how to control your reactions. Your disgust. Your need to fight at all. No matter how deplorable the request. No matter what the vampire does."

"Deplorable?" I gulped. "What are you going to make me do?"

Eric spread his hands and said, "Nothing. I want you to stand in the middle of the room and do nothing. Do not react, no matter how much you may desire to. That's it."

"Uh-huh." How did I know that wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded? I walked over and stood in the middle of the room. "Now what?"

"Relax," Eric instructed. "Hands at your sides. No fidgeting. Don't look anywhere except for straight in front of you. Find a spot if you must, focus on it, but otherwise, do absolutely nothing."

I did as he said, stretching my fingers to their fullest and then letting them relax at my sides. I did the same with the rest of my limbs. Once I found a flaw in the paneling on the wall, I locked my eyes there. "Now what?" I repeated.

"Shut up."

I grumbled, but kept still. I was determined to get this right. If Eric was looking for a reaction from me, he wasn't going to get it. I didn't care what he did. I'd been schooling my reactions to people's thoughts my whole life. This should be a breeze, right?

I felt him approach. The speed of which he had, sent my ponytail fluttering against my face. I remained stoic, unmoving. I hardly took a breath.

"You look stiff as a statue," Eric said, tugging on my arm. "You need to be more pliant. Loosen your limbs." I tried to do as he instructed, but it wasn't as easy as it sounded with him yanking at my arm. "Better. Relax your neck. Good."

I listened as he went on, instructing at regular intervals. I focused inward, hearing only his voice, the slight lilt of his accent. I told myself that I needed to do this. This was part of my conditioning. If I were going to come out of this situation on top, then I had to learn this. I had to get it right.

"Your will is mine. Your body, mine to do with as I wish. If I say jump, there will be no "how high?" you will simply jump. There should be no hesitation. No thought."

About fifteen minutes in is when I finally started letting go. Eric continued with his occasion tug, sometimes going as far as changing the direction in which I faced. It wasn't easy, but after a while, I started to trust if he yanked too hard then he would keep me from falling. My gut reaction was to keep myself upright. I had to let that go and trust Eric to do it for me.

Some distant part of me recognized that was probably a mistake; trusting Eric. But the other, more reasonable side of me, thought that if this saved me from whatever fate may lay ahead then I needed this skill. Strange as it sounded.

The police department had found evidence. Semen. They could track DNA. I knew that it wouldn't be mine, of course. I was also quite positive that DNA records would be different for a vampire, if even impossible to track. But if the results even hinted that the killer was a vampire, I knew I'd be taken in for simply being associated with the vampires.

I wasn't keen on the idea of lying to the local police department, people I had grown up knowing for most of my life, but if pretending I'd been under the glamour of a murdering vampire kept me from being wrongly convicted... Well, I supposed I owed it to myself to give my session with Eric and honest-to-God try.

So, I let go. I let him maneuver me into different positions. Occasionally he would lift my arm, bend it, raise it, hold it out or behind me. I let him do what he would, concentrating on my breath and not much more.

"Very good," he encouraged as he spun me in a circle. "Now," he began as he slowed to a stop. I had to find a new focal point, but that didn't take long. I was in some other place. Some other zone, much like the one I went to when I fought. "Let's try something a little more difficult."

I said nothing, did nothing. I was wary, but I tried to keep from showing any outward sign. Eric must've been satisfied because he stayed silent and moved away. I couldn't see him from where I stood, but I could feel him slightly behind me. Then, almost a full five minutes later, he touched my shoulder.

It startled me, but I forced the reaction down. Inhaled. Exhaled. His finger moved, making a slow circle around my back until I could see Eric out of the corner of my eye.

"Touch," he said, his voice slightly heavier. Harder somehow. "Is one way to get a reaction. Words are another." he continued to walk around me, his finger trailing after him, now crossing my collar bone, the thin skin of my upper chest. I felt my pulse speed. "Mmm, you moved."

I had not.

"I feel your pulse as it quickens. I hear it. The blood in your veins. I can almost imagine the taste of you on my tongue." I felt myself stirring. I tried to tamp it down. He popped the strap of my sports bra and I jerked. "Ah, stay still."

I took a slow breath and exhaled it just as slowly, forcing myself back to center again. _Damn it._ His hand dropped to his side, and I felt myself relax. His voice made it hard to stay that way.

"What is it about my touch that makes you so tense?" he asked. I kept my eyes on the wall. I stared. "Is it so disturbing? Or is it because it excites you so?" My cheeks felt warm. Eric chuckled. "Some physical reaction is normal," he allowed. "The touch of a vampire is thrilling to human skin, be it in fear or desire, or delight, abhorrence. That is unavoidable."

Oh, good, so it wasn't just _his_ touch, then. That was definitely good news. Eric moved out of sight again, his voice returning a moment later, a mere breath from my ear.

"I do love your choice of dress," he purred. "Unclench your fists." I did, slowly. "So much skin," he added after a moment. "You are not as soft as I imagined. Your muscle tone is impressive." He touched my jaw. "Relax."

I still couldn't see him, so that made it easier. But he didn't remove his finger, letting it trail back and forth from jaw to chin, until I'd finally let the tension go. That had made it more difficult. Such a slight touch was very distracting. I felt coiled tight all over, even as I relaxed a slightly.

"I wonder if your ass is as firm as it looks."

My pulse galloped at that. Would he touch me there? I didn't think I could _not_ react if he did. _Oh, God._ This was going to be bad. I forced myself calm, closing my eyes for long enough to will it. Eric didn't give me much time. A small noise escaped when I felt a finger trace my spine. He stopped just at the edge of my shorts and I sighed. Eric didn't seem displeased, but...

"Not bad," he conceded, "But if I had touched you, slapped your bottom, what would you have done?" I stayed silent. "Answer."

Oh, he'd asked me a direct question. I stumbled a bit, but finally said, "I don't know."

"Yes you do." I could hear the smile in his voice.

I did. Well, I think I did. I probably would've smacked him. Probably.

"No one will ask for your permission, Sookie. No one. If I were to grab you," he said. And when he did wind an arm around my waist, and he was suddenly beside me, I gasped. "And nuzzle your neck like so," he continued. I felt his breath on my neck, his lips and nose a gentle touch. I inched myself away. Eric sighed. "You should crane your neck towards me," he growled. "Press against my touch. Seek it. Want it. Do not fight it."

He stayed where he was, with his face on my neck. The beat of my heart was thunderous even to my own ears. How could I relax? I felt tension everywhere. I closed my eyes and suddenly it wasn't so bad. My breathing was short, but slowly I shifted closer.

"Yes," Eric groaned. "Better." He kissed my neck, I think in encouragement, but it felt like... something else. "The flutter here of your pulse," he said, kissing again. My mouth opened, but no sound escaped. "It is a temptation."

My knees felt wobbly, and when Eric was suddenly gone, his strength and touch no longer grounding me, I stumbled. "Shit," I muttered, opening my eyes so I could keep myself from falling.

Eric reappeared in front of me and I nearly stumbled again. His eyes were hard, the pupils almost completely dilated. "Your nipples are hard, Sookie. Is your cunt wet for me?"

My eyes shot to his, and I know I was staring daggers at him. "You – "

He pressed a finger to my lips. "Shh." He met my stare head on with one equally as violent. "Our lesson is over for tonight, but I want you to close your eyes and listen to what I say."

I was already shaking my head. I was done. So very done. I didn't want to hear another word from his mouth. That last bit had been too much. He'd pushed me too far. Which was the whole point, wasn't it? "Screw you."

Eric's gaze softened, but it was almost imperceptible. "Have I brought you any harm?"

"No, but – "

"Have I touched you inappropriately?"

I glared, but admitted, "No."

"Have I betrayed your trust in any way?"

"Not exactly," I said through my teeth.

"One more thing," he said, holding up one finger. "I just want you to close your eyes and imagine. That is all. One more thing."

I stared for a long moment, willing myself to disagree. Ultimately I couldn't and gave him a stiff nod before closing my eyes. "I'm going to need to punch something when we're done," I said as I calmed myself.

Eric chuckled. "If you can catch me, I'll let you punch me."

I grinned and peeked at him. He was smiling. A confident, cocky smile. A challenging smile. It would make my night to wipe that smile from his face. That, I _knew_ I would enjoy. A lot. "Promise?"

"Promise. Now, close 'em."

I did and relaxed, though I could feel excitement at the prospect of kicking Eric's ass thumping in my veins.

"I want you to imagine yourself glamoured." Had we not already been doing that? "Not as we have been," Eric went on. "You're free to move. You're free to react, but imagine that you're not. Imagine yourself in their place."

I tried to think about what he was saying. I didn't see how it was that much different, but I imagined the few people I'd seen under glamour and put myself there. I breathed deeply, regularly.

"Glamour takes away will, imposes another's in its place. Were I so inclined, I could persuade a human under glamour to do anything, no matter how morally wrong, no matter how illegal. There would be no hesitation, you see. No fear of recourse. Just a will that needed to be done."

How awful, I thought. I frowned, but kept my eyes closed.

"If I were to say, give me your blood, one would offer their vein happily. If I were to say, slit your wrists, one would bleed and die in bliss. If I were to ask someone to kill, they would slay without remorse, without emotion of any kind. Nothing would go unanswered. All commands would be obeyed."

That would be horrible. Was that what was happening now? Was someone being coerced into doing a vampires bidding? If it were true, then why? Who? How could I possibly save them from the horrors of knowing what they'd done if the truth ever came out? It was unthinkable. I felt myself shaking, and Eric wasn't done.

"If I were to say kiss me, I would be kissed. I could command to see a woman's breasts and they would strip, no matter the audience. If I so willed it, they would fuck and fuck and fuck in the middle of one of your religious building, in front of your God and all his followers. No thoughts of punishment. No thoughts of retribution nor repercussions. Imagine your will lost to the whim of another. Even if you wanted to fight it, you would have forgotten the urge."

I realized as he went on that glamour was simply another form of rape. It very well _could_ involve actual rape, as it seemed to have in Dawn's case, but even in the lesser degrees it was a form of it. If someone were to be commanded to steal bananas from the grocery store under glamour, their option to say no was stolen from them.

It was so sad, and it frightened me progressively the more I thought about it. A tear made its way down my cheek. "Eric," I whispered, interrupting him. He was lost in his own world, and I wondered what horrors he was remembering. From the look in his eyes, I really didn't want to know. "Eric," I repeated.

He glanced back at me, speeding over to catch my tears with the tip of one finger. "Why do you cry?" he asked, and licked my tears from his hand.

"Why do you glamour?" I asked harshly. "Why take that away from a person? Their will? Why?" I shook my head and looked away. "Of all the things I've learned about vampires, drinking blood, sleeping during the day, no pulse, no breath, your glamour," I met his eyes again, "That is the most inhuman of them all. The sickest." The most frightening.

"It is a necessary evil at times," he said with indifference. "Not all things should be remembered."

I understood that, but... "You don't just do it to erase a memory. That could be forgiven."

Eric sighed, his shoulders looked suddenly too heavy. Too big. I kind of wanted to hug him, but I wasn't sure why. I lost the urge when he paced away.

"For a long time, it is the way we kept our existence a secret." His voice was distant but soft. I stared as he walked, hands clasped behind his back. He looked like a warrior training his army. Only at his back, he had little ole me. A one woman army. One _human_ army. "We needed to feed, but," he shrugged, "humans remember that, they panicked. Until we made them forget. It became something done simply out of impulse to ensure our survival."

There was a difference in doing it for survival. There were those, I knew it, that did it out of cruelty. I couldn't help but being curious. "When you met me, you tried to glamour me. What would you have made me do?"

I held my breath until he spoke. "Answer my questions. Be more compliant. It was my goal to seek the truth of you. In as little time as possible."

I snorted, though the whole conversation was far from funny. "You're immortal. You live forever. Why is it we humans, who live but a few decades if we're lucky, have more patience? You couldn't just have waited for me to give it to you?"

Eric gave me an impatient look. "I am still waiting to find out the truth of you."

"I've never lied to you," I said, offended.

"Ah, well, that's debatable. There are people, long dead and gone from this world, whose secrets are more easily discovered than yours, my Sookie."

Eric's face begged me to argue, dared me to rebuke. But I didn't. It was kind of true, and there really wasn't anything wrong with that. Besides, Eric was his own little ball of mystery. "Have you every raped someone like that?" I asked instead. "Like you were talking about just now? Have you ever taken away someone's will so viciously?"

His mouth drew into a thin line. I could feel anger like an arrow, shooting straight out toward me. I didn't think he would answer, but then he said, "I have done the things I needed to survive."

My eyes were instantly wet again. "That's rape, Eric. It doesn't matter which way you look at it. That's what it is." If he was the sort of monster capable of such I thing, I wanted nothing more to do with him.

He was suddenly in my face. "I have never forced myself on someone. _That_ is rape, Sookie. There are those of my kind that would not view it as such. They would do those things and far worse without blinking an eyelash. I am a vampire, Sookie, do not confuse me with a monster."

"Alright," I whispered when I found my voice. Eric's tone had been harsher than I'd ever heard it. More frightening. I swallowed. "I believe you. I'm sorry if I offended you." I realized as I said it that I truly was.

His eyes bored into mine. I hoped he could feel my sincerity because I was too afraid to move. Then his eyes melted, anger and hate and violence faded away into something else. "I do not lie to you," he finally said.

I smiled a little. "You also don't tell me the _whole_ truth the first time I ask."

Eric waved a hand and backed off. He returned my smile. "Details."

"Since you're being so honest and all, think I could ask you a question?" I gave him a skeptical look. I hoped he took it as a challenge, because I really wanted truth, and I doubted very much that Eric backed down from many challenges.

"You may," he said.

"Do vampires have DNA?"

He frowned and shook his head. "Not like human DNA. Why?"

I told him about what they'd found in Dawn's body. The evidence. "Is it even possible that's from a vampire?"

"We ejaculate," Eric said with a smirk. "If that's what you're asking."

Was it? Not exactly. I flushed and had to clear my throat before I could explain. "Can it be traced? Like they can pull human genetics from a sample, could they find the vampire responsible if it _was_ one who violated her, killed her?"

Eric looked thoughtful. "Our DNA is in our blood. That is why we guard it so. Tracking a specific vampire can only be done through our blood. Your human scientist would be able to do nothing more than classify it as vampire."

"So," I said, thinking aloud mostly, "Once they're able to distinguish what it is, they'll either trace it back down to some poor, unsuspecting human, or they'll know nothing more than it was a vampire."

"In which case," Eric said slowly, "You'll become their prime suspect for your known association with vampires." If I hadn't known better, I would've sworn that there was just a hint of guilt in his tone.

"And in which case," I said, mocking his tone, "tonight will not have been for nothing. I should probably even thank you." Hopefully it didn't come down to that. I was a really awful actress. If I'd learned nothing more from his lesson in glamour, I had learned that.

Eric gave me an easy smile, one which I returned. We'd reached some sort of truce, I thought. How long it lasted was yet to be seen. "I do believe I vowed to play your punching bag," he teased.

I grinned. "You did." Truce or not, I was looking forward to kicking Eric's ass. Just a little. Okay, okay, a lot.

He beamed right back at me. "Catch me if you can."

**A/N: So, an ENTIRE chapter of Eric and Sookie. And guess what? That's right. There's more to come in the next chapter. WOO HOO! I love writing these two, even if they're not mine. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you so much for reading.**

**If you have the time, it only takes a second, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanks in advance!**

**KISSES!**


	15. One Round Won, Another Battle Lost

**A/N: OMG you guys! I love all of you! Thank you so very much for all of your kind words. I am thrilled to death that you're all enjoying the story. Things start twisting rather nicely, I think, here over the next few chapters, but since we're a little over the half-way mark, I think it's time to get the ball a rolling. **

**LONG chapter. WOOT!**

**Special thanks: First of all, to each of you who take the time to read, favorite, or alert this story, or any of my stories. I would not have continued if it weren't for each of you.**

**EtheHunter is my word and comma wrangler. Occasionally she has to ask me WTF was I thinking? I would be a mess without her, and you can guarantee my chapters would be riddled with more mistakes than they are now. I'm always fiddling with things after she's done. Please forgive my errors.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris created Sookie and Eric and this universe. I've twisted them for my own enjoyment, and hopefully, yours as well.**

**Previously...**

"_Since you're being so honest and all, think I could ask you a question?" I gave him a skeptical look. I hoped he took it as a challenge, because I really wanted truth, and I doubted very much that Eric backed down from many challenges._

"_You may," he said._

"_Do vampires have DNA?"_

_He frowned and shook his head. "Not like human DNA. Why?"_

_I told him about what they'd found in Dawn's body. The evidence. "Is it even possible that's from a vampire?"_

"_We ejaculate," Eric said with a smirk. "If that's what you're asking."_

_Was it? Not exactly. I flushed and had to clear my throat before I could explain. "Can it be traced? Like they can pull human genetics from a sample, could they find the vampire responsible if it was one who violated her, killed her?"_

_Eric looked thoughtful. "Our DNA is in our blood. That is why we guard it so. Tracking a specific vampire can only be done through our blood. Your human scientist would be able to do nothing more than classify it as vampire." _

"_So," I said, thinking aloud mostly, "Once they're able to distinguish what it is, they'll either trace it back down to some poor, unsuspecting human, or they'll know nothing more than it was a vampire."_

"_In which case," Eric said slowly, "You'll become their prime suspect for your known association with vampires." If I hadn't known better, I would've sworn that there was just a hint of guilt in his tone._

"_And in which case," I said, mocking his tone, "tonight will not have been for nothing. I should probably even thank you." Hopefully it didn't come down to that. I was a really awful actress. If I'd learned nothing more from his lesson in glamour, I had learned that._

_Eric gave me an easy smile, one which I returned. We'd reached some sort of truce, I thought. How long it lasted was yet to be seen. "I do believe I vowed to play your punching bag," he teased._

_I grinned. "You did." Truce or not, I was looking forward to kicking Eric's ass. Just a little. Okay, okay, a lot._

_He beamed right back at me. "Catch me if you can."_

**SPOV**

Fighting was... Well, it was kind of my thing.

Some people knit, or take up quilting or cross-stitching. Others like to shop for new shoes, or treat themselves to a mani/pedi. Some like to sing or dance or do crossword puzzles. Not that I was against any of those things. I liked to read, and occasionally I took the time to paint my own nails, or buy myself something nice to wear.

But what really did me in, what really got me going, was a good fight.

Exerting myself in such a way, pushing my body to extremes, taking hits that would make bigger men fall down weeping, that's what got my blood pumping. It was in a sense, orgasmic.

For many, I knew fighting, the art of fighting, that is, is a damn near religious experience – my trainer was one of them. I won't go as far as to say that's how it was for me, but there was definitely something spiritual about it. Something out of this world.

Of course, there was the violence of it that I loved, too. To best someone in a fight was one of the biggest highs I'd ever experienced. The classes I participated in, however, were fairly strict with rules and regulations. Where you could hit someone, when you could hit them. And there was definitely no drawing blood. Not on purpose. Accidents did happen.

_Kick. Punch. Duck. _

I'd debated once or twice taking one of those MMA classes on the side, maybe competing a little. Doing something like that on a more professional level. But it would be inevitable that I got knocked around a bit, took a few hits and whatnot, most assuredly some of those would land on my face. I wasn't the vain sort, but I worked in customer service. Black eyes and busted lips aren't really good for tips.

I _had_ taken to watching a few bouts once in a while as a sort of consolation. When they were held close to town, sometimes in Shreveport or Monroe, I'd drive over to catch some of the fights. It was strangely thrilling, and though I almost always imagined myself inside the ring, the satisfaction wasn't as complete.

With Eric, on the other hand, I didn't have to hold back. I always had to hold back in classes. Even with Pam, I knew since our last encounter, I'd be holding back from now on. Eric could take a beating and walk away without so much as a scratch as evidence on his flawless skin. Then again, that in itself was a little unsatisfying. Point is, I let lose in my fight with Eric. Utterly. I would wound him, albeit temporary.

_Spin. Kick. Drop and sweep._

There was another part, a darker, more twisted part, of me that sought blood in every fight. Sure, I got a lot of what I needed from the physical work itself, the artfulness of it, the scheming – planning my moves in advance, anticipating my opponent's counter-moves, dodging, advancing, blocking. It was a ballet of a different sort. The dance of battle.

That other part of me, however, was never truly satiated. I knew in some distant place inside me that it had to do with Gran's murder, her _murderer_, the viciousness of the crime and resulting punishment. Her killer had been caught; I'd testified to have him put away. His parents were fairly well-to-do, though, and had been able to afford a very good attorney.

The young man had been sent to prison – there would be no death sentence for him – but I'd always wanted his blood. Vengeance isn't as sweet if it's taken from one's own hand. I felt I was owed that. For Gran. For myself. For anyone else who'd fallen victim to that sort of atrocity.

Flawed as our justice system was, I knew that being a vigilante was even worse. How much more dangerous could the world get, the horrible and needless violence, the hate and inability to accept views that were not our own, if we were all left to deal out our own judgment, or force our own conviction on folks? I didn't want to know.

I could reason out why Gran's murderer should be kept in prison for the rest of his life. But that other part of me did not listen to reason – it was irrational to a fault – and it ached to mete out the old law. Eye for an eye. Tooth for a tooth. Life for a life.

_Reverse punch. Running jump kick. Pause. Breathe._

Most of the time, it was easy to quiet that side of myself. I did not want to play judge, jury, and executioner to every person I met. I was not so high and mighty. I had my own faults, had committed my own sins – would most certainly make more – and I would have to face up to them in my own time.

Contradictory as it may sound, I quieted that voice by punching things, but also by being punched, kicked, or hit in return. It was always with some sort of grim satisfaction that I observed bruises or cuts I'd obtained in a fight.

Sometimes I would recall how I'd won the round, other times I would remember how I'd been bested and plan for the best course of action on how not to lose again. Watching the bruises fade and heal over time reminded me of the life I still had. So, yeah, fighting was sort of my thing. Some won't understand, and that's fine. I don't understand knitting, so it's all good.

Sadly, as I fought with Eric, I was gaining nothing more than an increasing frustration. I couldn't catch him, and every time I thought he'd caught me, there would be no assault. I wasn't hitting Eric. Eric wasn't hitting me. That need, that ache, that _yearning_ for the sight of blood, was only growing stronger.

If I took the time to analyze it, I'd probably realize how much that likened me to the creature I fought against. I was vicious and blood thirsty. I was a vampire with a pulse. But I didn't analyze it, so I remained oblivious to it.

All my moves, all my attacks, were for nothing. I was fighting air, and sadly, it was winning.

"Come on," I half-growled. I was winded. Eric looked energized. His eyes glowed with excitement. Mine had started out that way. Now, I was sure they were showing my fatigue. "Hit me," I snarled. "Do something."

Eric was laughing. Oh yes, he was enjoying himself. "You waste precious energy trying to catch me. You're too slow."

_HA!_ Tell me about it. Eric was faster than Pam. Eric would start on one side of the room, and in a blink appear on the other side of the room. It was as if he didn't move at all, simply willed himself from one spot to another. If I hadn't heard the zoom or felt the rush of air as he did so, I would have thought that's what he was doing.

Frustrating as hell, that's for sure. How could one catch the wind?

Answer: you couldn't. "Like I hadn't noticed," I muttered.

"You have limited strength and you waste it swinging punches that don't land." He eyed me and beckoned me with his fingers in a taunt. "Stop trying to hit me and hit me."

"Sure thing, Morpheus," I chuckled.

At Eric's confused look, I lost it, doubling over in a fit of laughter. I kept imagining him saying, "But I am Eric; I do not know this Morpheus," and it would send me into hysterics all over again. I tried to reign it in but it wasn't easy. My side was hurting from laughing so hard.

Eric, for the most part, only showed a slight annoyance at my outburst. Mostly, I saw amusement in his eyes. I'd laugh again simply because he had no clue what was so funny.

"Oh, God," I giggled. "Thanks. I really needed that laugh."

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" he asked.

I shook my head and wiped tears from my eyes. My sweat made them burn a little. "No, if I have to explain it, it wouldn't be funny anymore."

Eric took a big sweeping bow, and I snorted as I struggled to hold in my laughter. "So glad I could be of entertainment." I bit my lips to keep from smiling. "Perhaps you would stand a better chance against your Morpheus. Pam seemed to think you had some skill."

His gaze was challenging, and I was now scowling. "Screw you. You're not even giving me the chance to get close enough."

He arched an eyebrow. "You think anyone else will?"

"Hey," I said, marching toward him. "Someone else already did. Or have you forgotten so quickly what happened to the last vampire that fucked with me."

Eric was better at controlling his laughter than I was, but I could see it was a struggle. He really wanted to laugh at me. "You think you're tough stuff now, eh?" he taunted. "Slay one vampire and now you're Buffy?"

I laughed again. "Oh, so you're not a complete idiot when it comes to the entertainment industry."

"I've heard of this Buffy," he said. "Pam is a huge fan of hers."

"HA! I bet she is." Pam was a fan of women in general.

"You fight like a brute," Eric continued. I gave him the stink eye. I most certainly did _not_ fight like a brute. "You swing heavy, you kick hard. Every move you make is with the fullest power you behold. Do not waste such energy if your foe is a vampire."

"Well, what the heck am I supposed to do? Sass them to death?" I tossed my hands in the air, exasperated. "You want me to know _how_ to beat a vampire, but you don't want me to fight one. How's that supposed to work?"

As soon as I'd said it, I realized I had other tools besides my fists that would work. Hadn't Pam told me as much only a few days before? I began to plot, calculating how best to go about it. Would it work? Would Eric fall for such seductions? How far would I have to go? To what extremes would I reach to beat Eric?

I knew, without having to ponder, that I would give almost anything to beat him. I inwardly smiled. This was going to be so much fun. I wasn't good at the whole girly flirting thing, but I was willing to give it a whirl to bring big, bad Eric to his knees.

"Battles are fought and won," Eric began, "Not only with mere strength of arm or skill of sword, but with one's mind."

I met his eyes and licked my lower lip, cocking my head to the side. His eyes were instantly drawn to the line of my neck, now fully exposed. It was hard not to grin, I'll tell you that. I pulled my ponytail over my shoulder and fingered my hair.

"So," I said flippantly, "I should try to outsmart them. Then I can punch them?"

Eric chuckled. "If you must. Just remember something as simple as a punch, or even a kick to the head, isn't going to slow down a vampire."

"How does one outsmart a vampire?" I wondered aloud. I paced away a few steps, putting a little extra sway in my hips.

I was wearing my typical sparring gear, sports bra and a pair of short shorts that fit snugly. It was easy to move in, and didn't tangle with my limbs like loose clothes did. I'd kicked off my shoes already which made the feminine version of a strut that much smoother. A peek over my shoulder confirmed Eric was watching.

Very intently, I might add. I allowed myself the grin since he couldn't see it.

"I'm not as fast as you are," I said, ticking off fingers as I turned back around. "I'm not as strong. I'm not immortal. I can be hurt. One light punch could knock my head off." I paced back, stepping a little too close to Eric for comfort. I could feel my own pulse racing so I knew he could see it. Hear it probably, too. "I stand no chance."

Eric's lips looked tight. I liked to think I was having some effect. It seemed to take an enormous amount of concentration for him to stop looking at my neck. Before his eyes lifted to mine, they dropped to my breasts. Oh, victory would be mine, and it _would_ be sweet.

I touched his chest, lightly. It was still as a stone. No pulse, no breath. Eric raised an eyebrow, but showed no other sign that my touch affected him. So close. So close. I waited for him to speak.

"You've killed one of my kind," he said.

I feigned a thoughtful expression, side-kicking hard with my left leg in the same breath. I fell hard on my ass when I struck air. "Damn you!" I cursed.

Eric laughed. "I am not so easily distracted, Sookie. Did you think to seduce me with your womanly wiles?"

Womanly wiles? I scoffed as I forced myself back to my feet. Who said things like that? Maybe it burned so badly because, yes, that's exactly what I'd sought to do. New tactic, I thought, quickly switching gears. And let's be honest here, conjuring a bit of anger wasn't all that far-fetched for me to do.

I threw my arms in the air, as if in defeat. "I don't know what you want from me. You want me to fight, but I can't fight to do it. I needed this. I need to punish... something. I don't understand why you can't make it easier for me."

Eric gave me a strange look. "You want me to make it easy for you?" Then he shook his head. "That's not going to happen."

"I don't want you to make it easy for me. Where's the fun in that? Make it a challenge, but at least make it a fair fight. I can't catch you if you keep zooming around all over the place."

Eric braved a few steps, coming to a stop directly in front of me. I should have tackled him then and gotten it out of the way. But, damn him, I didn't want to fail again. I met his stare. He looked like he was going to take the bait, but I couldn't be certain.

Maybe what Pam had said was true to some degree, and it might have worked on any number of the vampire race, but for Eric? No, Eric was going to need something a little different. It was going to take every ounce of knowledge I'd ever gained to even have a chance at taking him down. I was going to hit him with a combo.

"You're proposing that I fight like a human?"

Well, not exactly, but that would definitely work in my favor. I wasn't going to be choosy. "If you think you're up to the challenge?" _There, take that, Flash._

He frowned. "I do not know that I am capable. I'm not sure how."

"Come on," I urged. "You walk around like a Joe all the time." At his confused look, I said. "Joe as in Regular Joe. Never mind," I said and waved a dismissive hand. "Point is, you walk around like a _human_ all the time. You don't travel everywhere at vampire speed. And don't you, I don't know, have to control your strength to keep from crushing or breaking things? Like the steering wheel on that expensive car of yours?"

"Well, yes, but that is different."

"How so? Come on, Eric." I was almost to the point of begging. Almost.

"I do not wish to hurt you."

"Ugh," I crossed my arms, impatient. "You can hit me. I'm not going to break. Just... pull your punches a bit. I can take it. Please?"

Eric gave me a lascivious grin. "You want me to let you win?"

"No, God. No. Don't roll over and play vampire."

"HA!" Eric barked out a laugh. "I got that one." He looked really proud of himself for it, too. I couldn't help chucking. "Tell me what you suggest."

I shrugged, antsy. "Just pretend you're no stronger or faster than a human male of your..." I gestured at the whole of him, "Stature."

"That's it?"

"Yes, that's it. I'm a big girl, and I'd like to get this show on the road sometime before dawn. I'd prefer to be in bed sleeping before my friendly vampire stalker shows up in the woods." It was always harder to get to sleep if I knew he was there. If he showed up while I was sleeping, sometimes I slept through it, oblivious. "Besides, I have to work in the morning."

Eric had gone stiff. "Vampire stalker?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's no big deal. I'm pretty sure it's Bill anyway. Are we going to do this?"

"No big deal?" he repeated, monotone. "What makes you think it is Bill?"

I sighed. "It only started when he moved into town. He never does anything out there, anyhow, just stands there and watches, I guess."

"You didn't think this was important enough to mention?"

_Fuck._ I was never going to hit anything, was I? "I just did. Besides, he can't come in. I've never given him an invitation to my house. Why the hell do you care anyway?"

Eric ignored the last part. "There are ways to get you out of the house if he had a mind to. A fire for instance."

I'd never thought of that. God, how lucky had I been so far? "What the hell is he up to?" I wondered aloud.

"I'd very much like to know the answer to that myself," Eric answered. "If it is Bill, then we can now conclude there is more to his agenda than he's let on."

I chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah. Which makes me want to punch something all the more." I started bouncing on my feet and put my fists out. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

"You're sure about this?" He asked, moving toward me. He took no stance, just stalked forward with the confidence of a lion. Oh, won't it be a just a kick in the teeth – haha – when the gazelle knocks his fangs crooked?

I nodded with enthusiasm, grinning cheekily. "It'll be fun. Come on. Show me what you've got."

"Don't forget," he taunted. "You asked for it.

He lunged, and we danced.

Eric did a fairly decent job of pretending to be human. His moves were slower, sluggish even. He forgot to dodge on occasion, but he healed almost instantly so it didn't much matter. I didn't dock him points for trying.

Tricky thing was, he didn't tire. I did. Nor did he sweat, and I was dripping about twenty minutes into our sparring match. Even faking as he was, he was a much stronger fighter than I. He had decades, possibly centuries, of experience. Maybe he'd even fought in a few wars, the kind that were hand-to-hand and not computer-to-computer.

I had to admire it, even if only from a distance. Well, as distant as I was getting. Since I'd spent most of my energy the first twenty minutes, I'd taken a much more up close and personal approach. I didn't have the stamina to bounce around on my toes anymore.

He grunted in pain as I landed a punch to his ribs. Left, right, hook, and his nose spurted blood. He caught me, binding my arms at my sides. "Let me go." I squirmed, my slick skin, sliding against his.

He'd taken his shirt off a few minutes before, but that'd been my own fault since I ripped it when I'd grabbed hold to keep from falling. It was a sight, I'll tell you, all that smooth pale skin. And his scent? It was a bit distracting. He had the body of a fighter.

"I rather like this position," Eric said, his eyes glowing.

I knew that look, and it wasn't necessarily about sex, though it was really close. It had more to do with the fight, a certain buzz of excitement that came along with it. I stopped squirming long enough to bite his left pectoral. He hissed, but I didn't think it was from pain. When I kneed him in the groin, he finally let me go.

I didn't give him time to recover. I jumped, knocking him to the mat with a kick to his stomach. On most other men, it would've landed square in the middle of their chest, but Eric was a tall bastard.

I tackled with a yell before he could rise, straddling him as I put my weight into my arms and wrapped my fingers around his throat. "Do you yield?" I asked through my teeth.

"Never," he grinned, shifting enough so that he could lift his hips against mine. What I felt there had me scrambling off him. He used the advantage to reverse our positions. "Mmm," he purred. "I like this position much better."

"Get off me," I gasped, growing angrier by the second.

"Does it offend your little feminine sensibilities to know I am aroused?"

"No," I said, forcing a leg beneath his. "It pisses me off." With a grunt and a surge of my hips, along with most of my remaining strength, I flipped him over, rising to stand with a bare foot pining his neck to the mat. "Give up?"

"Does it piss you off that I know _you_ are aroused?" I grit my teeth and put some weight into my foot, cutting off his air supply. Eric laughed. "You're tired."

"Am not," I lied, chest heaving.

Eric shot up at vampire speed, appearing in the same breath behind me. My right arm was yanked behind my head, and he banded me against him with an arm across my chest. The evidence of his excitement pressed firmly between my ass cheeks. I growled, trying not to move and encourage him.

"Liar," he whispered. "You're also as aroused as I am. Admit it." His breath tickled my ear and I shivered.

"Fuck you," I spat, grabbing his wrist and twisting my way out. Eric let me. "You cheated," I accused.

I hit him with a left cross, and an upper cut, the finale being a knee to his gut. He doubled over for only a moment, before he grabbed me in his arms again. I didn't struggle that time. I was too mad, I think.

"No one ever said I played fair," Eric said, his voice hoarse.

I stayed still, waiting for his hold to loosen. His eyes moved from mine, down to my lips, to my breasts smashed against his chest, then back to my lips. I looked at his, my breath short, realizing at the exact moment, what the hell I was doing. Or more importantly, what I was _thinking_ about doing.

"Hit me," I growled. "All this fighting and you haven't hit me once." I almost had an arm free. "Why won't you hit me?"

His eyes stayed locked on my lips. "I do not wish to hit you."

Oh, I can just imagine what he wished to do to me. My eyes flicked to his lips. I licked mine, and it didn't go unnoticed by Eric. His eyes shot to mine. Was that an invitation? I didn't know. Was it? He leaned closer. I punched out with my left fist again, catching him square in the mouth.

I stumbled back when he released me suddenly. Satisfaction was brief. Eric shot up, yanking my head back by my ponytail and baring my neck. I gasped in pain and something else. Something not pain. My pulse raced when his face loomed over mine. His lip was busted, his fangs long and threatening.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he growled. I said nothing, and he tugged harder on my hair. I had to grip his arms to keep from falling. My breasts were the highest point on my body. Eric had me nearly bent in half, and yet he was still tall enough to crowd over me. His eyes were dark. "Do you yield?"

"Fuck you," I gasped.

Eric grinned and slanted his mouth over mine. I was in no position to fight. His fangs bit into my lip and I tasted blood. His and mine. I opened with a gasp, not wanting to fight anymore. _Oh, fuck,_ but his kiss could kill. His tongue wasted not a moment.

I kneed at his ribs. It was the best I could do. He caught the move with a grunt and wrapped my leg around his hip, pressing hard against my center. I moaned into his mouth.

Sweet. So sweet. I bit at his tongue, sucked it into my mouth. My fingernails dug into his shoulders. I felt my hair spill down as he snapped the rubber band holding it back. His mouth ceased its assault just as suddenly as it had began, and I was left panting when Eric tugged me upright again, his hand still firmly grasping my hair. The room spun wildly.

"Deny it," he growled. "Deny that you want me."

I thought about it. Seriously thought about it for all of two seconds. Wasn't there a reason I hadn't wanted to fight with Eric? There had to have been one. I couldn't remember. I was pissed-off. I was hot and tired and aroused as all hell.

"Shut up," I whispered, shoving at him. I didn't think he would protest, but I didn't give him the chance as I reached for the zipper of his pants, tugging it and his pants down almost simultaneously. "No more talking."

Eric said something under his breath. I didn't understand. I didn't care. My eyes were all over him. I shoved him to the wall and he stepped out of his pants along the way. Fuck, but he was a sexy motherfucker.

I licked my lips. I wanted to eat him alive. I wanted to kick his ass for making me feel that way. I wanted to take that hard piece of flesh that jutted up from his thighs and punish it with my mouth. My teeth.

And then I wanted to do it all over again.

I dropped to my knees and sucked him in, enjoying his groan. His hips surged forward and I dragged my teeth along the underside and licked the tip. "Don't say a word," I whispered before taking him between my lips again.

Only after I had him squirming and grunting did I remember I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I'd given one blow job in my entire life. One. I briefly wondered if Eric was enjoying it, then decided I didn't care. I was, that was all that mattered. I moaned around him when he grew harder.

I grabbed fistfuls of his ass, dug my nails in, and forced the length of him to the back of my throat. Eric's hand went to my hair. "Fuck. Fuck, Sookie."

I let my teeth bite into his flesh about mid-way down. Not hard, but hard enough that he shut up. I had time to take him to the back of my throat, swirl my tongue around him once, before he had me lifted and pressed against the wall.

I made a sound of surprise, balancing myself by grabbing hold of his shoulder. "Tell me no," he rasped, reaching for my shorts. I pressed my hips toward him, meeting his eyes. It was definitely not a 'no.' Eric's chest vibrated as he growled.

My shorts fell to the floor and I stepped out of them, launching my mouth toward Eric's. He groaned and I licked a fang. When his fingers found me, slid inside, I cried out.

"So wet, Sookie."

"Fuck, don't you ever stop talking?" I whimpered, riding his hand. He did after chuckling and tugging my sports bra to the side, baring one breast. His mouth was too busy with my nipple after that.

When I thought I'd go mad with pleasure, I reached between us and gripped that hard steel of him. The tip was moist and I used that to slide my hand over him and pull him closer. His head lifted from my breast. His fangs were long and sharp, but he'd managed not to pierce my skin.

"Now, Eric. Now," I urged. Before I changed my mind. I should, I knew. I wasn't thinking clearly, but damn it, it felt too good to stop. God, but I ached. Damn him for making me feel that way.

"Last chance," Eric whispered, his voice hard. He lifted me against the wall and slid the head of himself along my slit. I nearly sobbed. Fuck, I wanted him. Burned for him. "Last chance," he repeated.

I glared at him through the haze of my lust. "Do it already. Do it. Now." Eric obliged, sliding inside with one, long stroke. "Ow. Fuck that hurts. Fuck." It hurt so damn good. I felt myself quiver on the edge of orgasm. Eric stopped. "Wha... What? Why'd you stop?"

He looked confused, and tense, and as close to losing his mind as I was. "You said it hurt."

I kissed him hard, using my teeth to force a response. Wrapping my legs around his slim hips, I used the wall for leverage, and pulled him closer, deeper. I groaned. "In a good way. Fuck, you feel... fuck. Please don't stop."

Eric grinned. "I aim to please." Then he moved. "Fuck, you're tight."

I stilled his lips with mine, sucking hard on the lower. "Less talking," I said. "More fucking."

There are many advantages to being a vampire, I learned as Eric slammed into me, banging my head against the wall. Strength being one of them. I had no doubt that Eric could have held me there all night if he had a mind to. After my third orgasm, he pretty much supported all of my weight anyway.

But I was in control. Eric could fool himself into thinking he'd seduced me into sex all he wanted. This was a battle of a different kind, true, and I wasn't one to go down without a fight. I hadn't given in to him. No. I was using him for a different kind of release. Something much more primal. We were still fighting, I knew. Right? I would not surrender.

I shoved him away and pushed him to the mat. It squeaked with my sweat as I straddled him and took him in, all in the same move. He groaned, surging up to meet me, his fingers leaving imprints on my thighs.

I rode him as if I were punishing him. As if it were his fault I'd found myself in this situation. I let it all out. My fear, my anger, my sadness. The helplessness. Two people had died, and it looked like I was to blame. What had my life come to?

Every time Eric talked, I leaned down and bit him. His chest, his neck, his tight little nipples. The last time I drew blood and could taste it on my lips as I rose up on top of him. Eric grabbed my face, growling as he forced my eyes to his. "Look at me."

"Fuck you," I spat, slamming myself down on him. I rolled my hips and Eric's eyes lost focus. My body was a weapon too. Watching Eric's careful control waver made me feel as powerful as a nuke. "Feel that?"

"Yes. Fuck you, too. Yes," he groaned, meeting each of my thrusts.

"Shut up," I growled and gave his nipple a twist. I was close. So close. I moved with more purpose. Just one more. _God. _"Fuck, yes. There. Right there."

"Look at me," Eric repeated. His voice was strained. He was close too. "I want you to know who it is you're fucking. I want to see you come. Look at me."

I did, coming apart at almost the exact moment my eyes met his. Fuck him. I knew who he was. I writhed, losing rhythm as pleasure ripped through me. I did not moan; I screamed.

Eric took over, lifting his mouth to my breast as he continued pumping into me. His fangs broke the sensitive skin surrounding my nipple, a painful pinch, but I couldn't bring myself to care. Right then, in the throes of orgasm, I likely would have let him drain me. Pleasure equaled pain. Pain equaled pleasure. In that moment, it was all the same.

He took his taste of my blood, swelling even more inside me as he lapped at the drops, then released my breast long enough to grunt incoherent words and spill himself between my thighs. His neck strained, his eyes turned black, his delectable lips parted. I watched, transfixed, enjoying his moment almost as much as he did.

When he was done, I fell to his side, an exhausted heap of mush. My hair stuck to the side of my face. My shorts and underwear were gone. He'd only managed to free one of my breasts from its confines and it spilled over, pushing up and compressing almost painfully. I taught myself how to breathe again.

When Eric tried to pull me close to him, I panicked. I didn't say a thing. I scrambled up, righted my bra, pulled on my shorts and shoes, then gathered up the rest of my things. One last look at Eric almost had me speaking. He was gloriously naked and spread out like a feast ready to be devoured.

What could I say? Thanks? What should I say? You were amazing? I didn't know, so I kept silent. I felt awkward and totally out of my element. What the hell had I just done? Who'd won that round? I sure as hell wasn't certain it was me.

Eric's lips twitched. Did he want to say something? Would I stay if he asked me to? Did I want to? Should I kiss him goodbye? Inside I felt twisted, jumbled and confused. When I walked out the door, he didn't stop me.

I went home and slept. I had the nightmare again, and I woke up thinking it was a sign. A sign that time was running out for me. For me to do what, I didn't know, but it wasn't going to be good. Something huge was coming up, and I had no clue what to expect, but a decision would have to be made. Without the details and the deadline rushing at me like a falling meteor, I felt an awful lot like I was going to screw up big time.

I called Arlene to cover my lunch shift at Merlotte's. I felt bad about it, but I promised her a copy of Gran's pecan pie recipe – which she'd been dying to get her hands on for years – so I didn't feel too horrible. Mostly I felt bad for playing hooky on Sam, but I wasn't in the mood to play friendly service with a smile for anyone.

Most of the day was spent studiously ignoring the mental replay of the previous night's events. That hadn't been a dream. It had been... wonderful. And frightening. Thrilling and exciting and so very good. I hated that I'd enjoyed it so much. I could have forgiven myself for it if it had been bad, but it wasn't. It really wasn't. And that scared the shit out of me. What did that mean? What did it say about me?

When Eric showed up at about an hour after the sun set, I was certain he was there to rub it in my face. Gloating vampire was the last thing I needed. I was about as ready for that kind of confrontation as I was a vampire battle, and we all know how piss-poor I was proving to be at that.

"What do you want?" I said as I stepped out onto the porch, slamming the door shut behind me.

I jerked my head toward the woods at the east side of my house and waved at the approximate location I could feel the vampire mind lurking. I figured it was Bill. After a growl from Eric, it disappeared in a flash. I sighed.

Apparently, I'd been wrong about Eric's reason for a visit. "I just paid a visit to Mr. Compton's house."

I perked up instantly. "And?"

"Is he out there often?" Eric asked instead.

I shrugged, sighing heavily. "I wish I could differentiate that easily. You all feel pretty much the same to me. Mostly," I added as an afterthought. Eric felt slightly different, and I assumed that had something to do with his age. I didn't know, but I thought Eric was probably very old.

"Mostly?" he queried. I shrugged and looked away. Eric exhaled, obviously annoyed that I didn't feel like confiding in him. "He is definitely up to no good."

I snorted. "Didn't we know that already?" I said, then something else struck me. He said he'd visited Bill's house. "Oh. There's no construction over there, is there?" While we'd been fighting – before things had heated up – I'd told Eric about Bill's visit to Merlotte's.

I didn't have to look at Eric to know he was shaking his head. "The whole place smells old and rotted. It would not surprise me to find out he has not even secured himself a daytime resting place."

"Daytime resting place? Like a coffin?" I snickered a little at the thought.

Eric grimaced. "Not in a coffin. A secure room. Something light tight. I wouldn't be shocked to learn he sleeps beneath the house, in an old basement or wine cellar."

_Eww._ That just sounded creepy. _Night of the Living Dead_, anyone? "So, what's that mean?"

He shrugged, and I knew from the line of his jaw he was frustrated. "He has an agenda," he finally said. Then he turned to look at me. "It seems to revolve around you."

I felt like all the air was pushed from my lungs. I sat down on the porch bench feeling like I weighed a million pounds. "I kind of figured as much, but I have no idea why. What the hell could anyone want with a barmaid from Bon Temps?"

Eric gave me a cautious look before sitting next to me. "I have a theory," he said carefully.

"I'm all ears."

"You're not going to like it."

I snickered, shaking my head. "I doubt very much there'd be any theory you could give me that I would like. There's a vampire stalking my woods at night, who also happens to be my neighbor. He sends me flowers on an almost nightly basis, and makes a point to come by at least twice a week to chat me up. I've given him no sign of interest and yet he still keeps wooing me, or whatever the hell he thinks he's doing." I shrugged, feeling more than a little helpless. "I nearly died at the hand of one of his friends, who, by the way, he lied about knowing at all. Whatever his agenda is, it's not good, and that it appears to involve me, makes it even worse."

"I see your point," Eric responded, smiling tightly. I returned it with a slightly more deranged version. "You are a rare individual, Sookie," he said, as if trying to butter me up for something.

"Just spit it out, Eric. The point. Get to the point." I was so tired of games and hidden agendas and people turning up dead or trying to kill me. I couldn't fathom how someone could ever live like that on a regular basis. Were there other people like that, or was it just me?

He stood and paced. "Your telepathy," he said, seemingly to himself. "It is a rare gift. It would be a valuable commodity to any vampire. We are a distrustful lot. One would pay a small fortune to claim possession of such a gift."

"Don't I know it," I muttered, accusing Eric with my glare. He wasn't paying me any fortune's, that was for sure. He didn't notice, and I couldn't blame him for it. At least with Eric, he'd had the decency to approach me about it head-on. I didn't know what the hell Bill was scheming at. "Why not just ask me?" I said aloud. "You did, why can't Bill? If that's what he's after, it seems all this... intrigue and secret crap..." I held up my hands. "It just seems like a little much if he simply wants me for my telepathy."

Eric sat down next to me again, and I tensed when he took both of my hands in his. "I do not think he means to give you a choice."

"What? Like he's going to take me prisoner or something?" I got an awful fright from that thought. It was not a chilly night, and yet I shivered. "Would... who would do that? If that was the goal, why not just take me out right? Kidnap me? Why go through all this trouble?" I'd started to ask if someone would do such a thing, but I knew the answer to that question was yes.

Eric looked as if he chose his next words carefully. "Bill worked for the Queen before moving here under the guise of restoring his old family home."

"I remember," I said slowly.

"It seems as though he was already aware of your talents."

"More like a curse," I muttered. "Go on."

Eric's eyes were imploring. "I had already laid claim to you, so I am certain that put a hitch in his plan."

He was feeding me snippets, tiny little clues, hoping that I'd come to the same conclusion he had already. I still wasn't getting it. "Which is why he's improvising now," I concluded. That much I got at least.

He nodded. "Before, he worked for the Queen of Louisiana," he repeated.

I began with a frown but that morphed into wide-eyed shock as I started seeing the bigger picture. "You think the Queen wants me."

"She is very... ambitious. With you as an asset, it would help her succeed in taking over other states. Which, I know for fact, she's been wanting to do for decades."

I ignored his last part and shook off the doubt about the middle. What kind of asset, telepath or not, would a human be to a vampire? I was still shaking my head when I said, "I still don't get it. How could she even know about me? She lives in New Orleans, right? I haven't been there in years, and I certainly don't know..." It struck me like a heart attack. "Oh, God!" I cried, standing to do some pacing of my own. "Oh, God!"

Why had I not seen the connection? How could I have missed it?

Eric was right behind me, his hands stilled me by my shoulders. "You've thought of something," he said urgently. He turned me to face him, and I knew he could see the tears in my eyes. They hadn't spilled, but they were on the brink. "What is it?" he asked softly.

"Hadley," I breathed. "I thought she was dead. My cousin. I thought she was dead," I whispered.

My tears were falling freely now, and I had to turn my head to keep from situating myself in Eric's arms. It was looking like my own cousin had ratted me out. She hadn't even had the decency to show up for Gran's funeral. What logical reason would she have to tell someone about me? God, how blind could I possibly be?

"Your cousin, this Hadley, she lives in New Orleans?" Eric asked softly.

I hid my face as I nodded. I didn't want him to see me. "Last I heard, at least. I'm not sure how, but she was always in a bit of trouble, she could have bumped into a few of your vampire pals. I can't imagine why she'd want to talk about her mentally ill cousin, unless it was to poke fun at me, but I can't deny there's a connection."

Eric's hands stroked my arms. I stole that little bit of comfort by remaining still. If I moved, if I even breathed, I might fall into his arms again. And something told me, it'd be far different than it had the night before. I felt naked. Raw.

"If the Queen has set her sights on you, she will stop at nothing. Perhaps I foiled their original plan, but I won't have deterred her completely."

"Thanks for making me feel better," I muttered darkly.

Eric pressed a finger beneath my chin, pushing firmly until I lifted my eyes to his. "It is not my job to coddle you, Sookie. You do not want to be slave to the Queen's hand. I know that. You know that. Be emotional later, when it's all over, when you're safe."

I clenched my teeth, biting back my anger because Eric was right. He was right, damn it. I squared my shoulders and met his steely gaze. "What can I do?"

His fingers touched my face, and I managed not to grimace when he licked up my tears that time. "We wait. We watch. We stay on guard. Bill will make a mistake," he said through fangs. "I cannot ascertain his plans in order to intercept them, yet, but he is young. He will slip up."

"So until then?"

"We wait."

We. It was an entirely new concept to me. It made me feel... stronger. Like I could take on anything and survive. Yes, we would wait, and we would be ready. Then, once we'd killed Bill and shot his dastardly plans all to hell, I could have my life back.

**A/N: EEP! I'm totally going to be biting my nails over here, okay. This chapter was... well, it is what it is. Sookie and I agree sometimes, others not so much, but believe it or not this is HUGE progress for her.**

**I cannot wait to read your thoughts. On all of it. **

**I did want to answer a question or two that I've seen come up. In the chapter where Sookie is attacked and she has a nightmare, it's not a past experience that makes her see vampires killing her family, it was just the trauma of the night. I thought I'd been clear about it in the chapter, but I guess not. Also, Andy has a worry at the beginning of the story about a missing girl from a few towns over. As it's not mentioned anymore in the future of this story, I wanted to be clear that that missing persons case has NOTHING to do with what is going on in Bon Temps. It was a way for me to give you a character base for him, ie, he did NOT want to have to do any real detective work. So, just wanted those two things to be clear. Hope this helps.**

**Any other questions, feel free to ask me in a review or drop me a PM. I'll be happy to answer if it doesn't give anything away toward the plot. Thanks for reading!**

**Please, if you can, take the time to drop a line. I love reading your comments!**

**KISSES!**


	16. My Name is Death

**A/N: Oh, man. I am so very sorry. We've been a bunch of sick babies around here, so please forgive my lack of timely updating. Plus, this was a really tough chapter to write. You'll see why. Thanks for your patience. On a positive note, I will update twice this week. YAY!**

**Warning: This chapter contains explicit content that is violent and bloody in nature.**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter edited this 'un. Any remaining mistakes are all mine.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is boss; I just fiddle around.**

**Previously...**

"_Hadley," I breathed. "I thought she was dead. My cousin. I thought she was dead," I whispered. _

_My tears were falling freely now, and I had to turn my head to keep from situating myself in Eric's arms. It was looking like my own cousin had ratted me out. She hadn't even had the decency to show up for Gran's funeral. What logical reason would she have to tell someone about me? God, how blind could I possibly be?_

"_Your cousin, this Hadley, she lives in New Orleans?" Eric asked softly._

_I hid my face as I nodded. I didn't want him to see me. "Last I heard, at least. I'm not sure how, but she was always in a bit of trouble, she could have bumped into a few of your vampire pals. I can't imagine why she'd want to talk about her mentally ill cousin, unless it was to poke fun at me, but I can't deny there's a connection."_

_Eric's hands stroked my arms. I stole that little bit of comfort by remaining still. If I moved, if I even breathed, I might fall into his arms again. And something told me, it'd be far different than it had the night before. I felt naked. Raw. _

"_If the Queen has set her sights on you, she will stop at nothing. Perhaps I foiled their original plan, but I won't have deterred her completely."_

"_Thanks for making me feel better," I muttered darkly._

_Eric pressed a finger beneath my chin, pushing firmly until I lifted my eyes to his. "It is not my job to coddle you, Sookie. You do not want to be slave to the Queen's hand. I know that. You know that. Be emotional later, when it's all over, when you're safe."_

_I clenched my teeth, biting back my anger because Eric was right. He was right, damn it. I squared my shoulders and met his steely gaze. "What can I do?"_

_His fingers touched my face, and I managed not to grimace when he licked up my tears that time. "We wait. We watch. We stay on guard. Bill will make a mistake," he said through fangs. "I cannot ascertain his plans in order to intercept them, yet, but he is young. He will slip up."_

"_So until then?"_

"_We wait."_

_We. It was an entirely new concept to me. It made me feel... stronger. Like I could take on anything and survive. Yes, we would wait, and we would be ready. Then, once we'd killed Bill and shot his dastardly plans all to hell, I could have my life back._

**SPOV**

My Gran used to say that sometimes it's the smallest things that make the biggest difference. Of course, most of the time she said that, she was speaking of a particular recipe, or a specific ingredient within that recipe.

Baking powder. Vanilla extract. Baking soda. Yeast. Salt. Most of the time the rule, "a little dab'll do ya," applies to those items when they're called for. Gran baked a lot, so she said it often. It wasn't until I got a little older, a little wiser maybe, that I realized her statement was a lot more pregnant than the mere words.

Sometimes it _is_ the smallest things in your life that make the biggest difference.

I went to work the next morning, feeling a little better after my talk with Eric. We hadn't come up with anything concrete as far as evidence went, and we had no sound plan of attack should the need arise. However, Eric had a few connections, and he had a lot of ears around town. If there was anything to find out, I had no doubt he would.

I wasn't banking on that alone, though, but there wasn't much I could do in the way of recon, at least not like Eric. I couldn't read vampire thoughts or negotiate with them in any way, but I _could_ read humans. Bill was bound to have... slipped up somewhere. I didn't know for sure, but I was betting he wasn't working alone. And if he had glamoured someone in town, I was hoping I could pick it out.

Considering how fast news traveled in Bon Temps, it wasn't much of a shock to hear that I was on most everyone's mind throughout the lunch shift. What was surprising, however, was that so many seemed to think me guilty in some form or fashion.

I'd known people thought I was a little out of it, a smidgen off my rocker, maybe just a tad on the crazy side, but I had not expected all the accusing glares, all the suspicious thoughts. All sorts of ill will was directed my way.

These were people I'd known my whole life, and not many of them had any faith in my innocence. It was depressing when I realized how much so many of the townsfolk disliked me. Paint me a suspect in a murder case, and they were ready to bring out the pitchforks and torches, demanding my head on a spit.

I tried not to let it get me down. There were still a few who believed in me. Lafayette being one of them.

"I can't wait for y'all to meet," he was saying. I'd stopped in the kitchen to gather myself and drop a ticket off. He was talking about his new "Boo," Phillip. The vampire. "We're going to have to go out one night. Double date, or something." He winked at me as he flipped a burger over on the grill.

"I'm not dating anyone," I said. For the seventh time.

"Uh-huh. Then why's you walking like you just got fucked six ways to Sunday?" He pursed his lips and raised a perfectly arched eyebrow.

"I'm not," I lied. It had very little to do with the sex, but I was walking funny. Sure, some of the bruises and soreness were the result of that, but most of it was because I'd been pushing myself to the extremes during work-outs. "Maybe I can have y'all over for dinner sometime soon?" I offered.

"He's excited to meet you. All of my friends really." Lafayette's face took on a dreamy expression and he sighed happily. "I think I'm in love."

I laughed. "It's a little fast, don't you think?"

He snapped a finger and shrugged. "When you know, you know."

"Well, you just be sure to tell him, if he breaks your heart, I'll stake him in his."

Lafayette laughed. "I'll be sure to do that, girl. Now, shoo, get on outta my kitchen."

Then, of course, there was Sam. I liked to think he'd have faith in me no matter what – and he did believe I was innocent – but his thoughts were a little judgmental, too.

Things like how I'd asked for trouble by involving myself in vampire business, or how he hated to see me in the situation I was in, but it was really my own damn fault. Sometimes he just wished I would ask someone for help. Namely, him. He had a hard time connecting the bright young waitress with someone foolish enough to associate with vampires.

He kept those thoughts to himself, and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wanted to confront him about them, but I didn't want to fight with Sam. He was as entitled to his own opinion as everyone else was. I couldn't fault him for his thoughts; they were well intended. I knew that. So Sam got a break.

Sam wanted the best for me, even if he was being an asshole in his thoughts. If folks could read my mind, I imagine, from time to time, they'd find my thoughts were less than stellar too.

"You making it alright, cher?" Sam asked for about the millionth time.

I nodded and picked up the beer he'd just poured off tap for me. Noon was a little early to be drinking for my taste, but Portia was willing to sit in my section, so I wouldn't harp on her for having a beer with her burger at lunch time. She had a lot on her shoulders too, being a female lawyer in a dominantly male industry.

"I'm good. Tips are suffering, but it'll blow over soon." I hoped.

I was working with Holly, and if there was a table available in her section, most of Merlotte's lunch patrons jumped at those spots. I was left with the few stragglers who were oblivious to the town's recent spike in crime and my connection to it, or regulars that had no other option than to sit in my section or leave. Some simply left, they were _that_ disgusted by the idea of me serving them. Some sat, grumpy and accusing, then paid their tabs to the exact penny.

Luckily, at present, I wasn't hurting for money, but the time would soon come when I would be. I could only hope things had simmered down and gone back to normal before I was up to my eyeballs in unpaid bills.

"That bad, huh?" Sam said, frowning.

I shrugged. "I was expecting it."

"Sorry, Sookie," he said, and I could tell from his thoughts he was apologizing for himself, too. He knew what he'd been thinking. I gave him a quick one-armed hug and went on back to work.

My day got a little better after that, and my mood started brightening just a little. Tara had agreed to work the bar that night since Sam was short-handed, and it was such a rarity to get to work with both Tara and Lafayette that I couldn't help but look forward to it.

It wasn't until Catfish Hennessy came in with a few of the men from the road crew to have lunch and cool off, though, that my sullen mood shifted completely. His mind was like the brightly colored rainbow after a devastating storm.

Catfish had been really close friends with my dad. His son, who was deployed overseas now, was a year older than what my brother would've been if he'd lived long enough. Catfish and my dad spent a lot of time together, fishing, hunting, or just otherwise shooting the breeze like only men seem to do.

"Hey, fellas," I greeted. "What can I get y'all today?"

A couple of the guys started spouting off drinks and lunch orders while Catfish kept silent. I mentally jotted down things until Catfish reached over to take my hand. He gave it a squeeze and pressed a kiss to the top of my knuckles. I nearly broke down and cried.

He was thinking about how much he and his wife missed my parents. He was also thinking what a shame it was that their boys hadn't been able to grow up together. How much Gran had been like his second mother when he was a kid, and how horrible it was what had happened to her. He didn't so much pity me for the situation I was in as have hope that good things would happen for me when it was all said and done.

"Tough time right now," he said aloud. I nodded, my throat a big lump. "Good things happen to good people," he finished, offering me a kind smile.

Catfish was a Bon Temps native. His family had lived here for generations, just like the Stackhouses. In his mind, he could think far enough back to remember even _my_ great grandparents, who'd died years before I was born. All good people. Stable, strong and loving people, with big hearts who'd had a hard time of it in times past, but always came out stronger for it in the end.

In his eyes, I was all of them. My parents, my brother, my Gran and Grandpa. I was good people. _Bad don't come from good_, he thought, finally bringing the tears spilling down my cheeks.

I didn't have the heart to correct him. Sometimes bad _did_ come from good. It was his utter faith in me, his unshakable certainty that I was a good person, that had me breaking down. I'd needed someone to believe in me, and I was pleasantly surprised at its source.

As the first sob broke free, I launched myself into the booth, right next to Catfish and put my arms around his neck. He laughed a little at my enthusiasm, but gave me a pat on the back, soothing my hair down a little like a dad might do to his daughter. That's how he saw me, like a good little girl who'd found herself in a bad situation and was trying to make the best of it.

I cried on his shoulder, squeezing him tight. He was wrong. There _was_ bad in me. More bad than I'd yet to discover. But I loved him, just a little bit, for simply believing in me. I pulled back and kissed his scruffy cheek. He tasted like salt and smelled just how I remembered my daddy smelling.

"Thank you," I said once I finally found my voice. "Thank you."

His eyes looked a little wet, too, when he patted my cheek. "You stay strong, girl. In your mind and in your heart."

I nodded and hugged him again before composing myself and resuming my job as their waitress. Some of the guys gave me strange looks, tossing questioning gazes over to Catfish – who ignored them brilliantly – but none of them said a thing about our exchange.

They would later, I could sense from their thoughts, but for the time being they were content to enjoy the air-conditioning and the food on their plates.

Catfish was a man of few words, I noted that day, but they almost always mirrored his thoughts and that was a genuine pleasure for me. It made that part of my afternoon so much more bearable. Maybe it was selfish of me in some way, but I tried to stay locked on his thoughts while I could. Sometimes a gal just needs the encouragement, you know?

I did get side-tracked a time or two by Rene's thoughts. Not in a negative way, but definitely in a surprised sort of way.

Rene Lenier was Catfish's second, and he was in charge if ever there was a time Catfish couldn't make it. Rene was set to take over his job whenever Catfish finally decided to retire his old bones, but until then, he was content with being the assistant.

Rene hadn't been born in Bon Temps, but he'd lived here long enough to become like part of the family. His accent was a lot more Cajun than even Tara's was, but it was a lot of fun listening to him talk.

What was surprising was how much his thoughts kept straying to Tara herself. A few of the things he was thinking about had me blushing and avoiding his table for long enough to control my expression. I'd had no clue that Rene had any designs toward Tara, so I'm pretty sure she was clueless about it, too.

I made a mental note to mention it to Tara when she came in that night for her bar shift. Typically, I didn't like to play matchmaker, but Rene was a good guy, and he was cute as a button with his dimples and that one front tooth that was slightly off center from the rest. So, yes, I would say something, mention Rene in some fashion, to Tara, and maybe just plant a seed of interest in her. See if it would or _could_ grow into something more.

They left shortly after two, but I was able to keep up my positive attitude throughout most of the afternoon. On my break, I figured I'd head over to town, see if I had any more luck there catching some sort of Bill-related thoughts.

Bon Temps wasn't a largely populated area by any stretch of the word. But there was one main road through town, aptly named Main Street, so much of the traffic passed through there. I figured I could catch a higher volume of people there than at work.

By my calculations, it would take me five minutes to get there and five minutes back, so that left five minutes to see what I could hear. I made it in four, so I sat and listened for seven minutes before driving back to Merlotte's, no more the wiser.

All my sifting minds at the restaurant hadn't produced any results, but I wasn't ready to give up just yet. It would help, I supposed, if I'd known exactly what it was I should look for. As it was, I just tried to remember what Ginger's head had felt like after our first encounter – that sort of Swiss cheese brain thing she had going on – and listened for that.

Or maybe, I was hoping to catch a thought of Bill from a human he'd fed on. I'd have settled for something as small as that, but even that proved to be a bust. Far as I could tell, Bill Compton was faithful to Tru Blood and hadn't sucked on a vein once in Bon Temps. Yeah, uh-huh. I didn't believe that for a second.

By the time Tara came in around five, it was pretty busy, so I didn't get to do much chatting with her. It was nice though, having her and Lafayette there as mental support for me when things got a bit too heavy in the dining room. Sam had been doing better for the past hour or so, controlling his negative thoughts, and that was a huge relief.

My tips weren't as much as what they usually were, but at least I was getting enough small ones that they'd started adding up. It would probably be my slowest earning day ever in my career, but I wouldn't go home empty handed.

Just after dark, I thought I'd finally get the chance to talk to Tara about Rene. It'd slowed down enough and all my tables were either eating or getting ready to leave. No one was waiting at the hostess stand, and we'd hit a bit of a lull at the bar.

Then Lafayette came barreling out of the kitchen, squealing and waving his hands around in the air. Just about everyone in the restaurant turned to stare.

"Oh. My. God. Phillip is coming. Sam, hey Sam, where ya at?" Sam walked around the corner with a case of Buds and just stood there since Lafayette bombarded him with a flurry of words before he could start talking. "There you are. Look, you mind if I take a break here in about an hour?"

Sam opened his mouth to talk, but Lafayette continued, not really paying him any mind. "My boyfriend is coming to visit," he said and turned to face me. "I told him I was working with my girls tonight, and like I said, he can't wait to meet you, so –" Then he turned back to Sam. "You don't mind, huh?"

"What? Wait a minute," Sam stuttered, trying to catch up. I think all of us were. Tara laughed, and I couldn't help but smile at Lafayette's obvious enthusiasm. "Run that by me one more time." Lafayette repeated his request, slightly more decipherable. "Alright," Sam said. "Long as we're not too busy, I don't see it being a problem."

Lafayette just wanted an extra few minutes to go make-out with his vampire boyfriend in the parking lot of Merlotte's. I'd never experienced it myself, but there was obviously something to the whole newly-found-love thing they had going on. Lafayette was like a kid on Christmas morning.

A tour bus filled with about sixty senior citizens came in right about then, and everyone was insanely busy trying to get them situated and taken care of. I was delayed, yet again, in talking with Tara. It was a nice change, though, because those little old couples just loved me.

After that, however, my night started going downhill.

About the time the senior tour bus from Arkansas was paying their tabs was when Phillip came into Merlotte's. He was just as Tara had described, and besides that, I would have recognized him from Lafayette's thoughts anyway.

He looked young. Like _really_ young. He'd either been changed in his late teens or early twenties. Baby-faced, with just the tiniest bit of roundness to his cheeks, and the light sprinkling of freckles was both odd and adorable on that pale vampire skin. His lips were a perfect pink and shaped like a small bow. He was Cupid. With pale red hair and fangs.

His eyes canvased the room until they landed on me and stayed, which I thought was a bit strange. They were a very bright green, I noticed as I smiled tightly. I could not read his mind, as was the case with all vampires, so I just had to assume Lafayette had showed him a picture of me or something and that was how he'd picked me out of the crowd.

Well, I'd hoped that was what it was. The majority of me didn't like and was suspicious of him already. Forgive me for being skeptical, but vampires don't look at you like that if they're not interested in something. Like your blood on tap.

Lafayette came running out of the kitchen a minute later, arms wide open for Phillip's embrace. I felt a little less suspicious when his gaze abandoned me and lit on Lafayette. Something brightened Phillip's expression at the sight of Lafayette. Made him seem even softer somehow. There was a glow in his eyes that spoke of something genuine, and it was all for my friend Lafayette.

_Maybe_, I berated myself, _you're just being paranoid_. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and, as soon as I'd given change back to my patrons, I walked over to introduce myself.

"Hey, you must be Phillip?" I said. I didn't offer my hand because vampires didn't shake hands. I'd learned that lesson already.

There was nothing calculating or otherwise when his eyes flicked to mine. He looked downright friendly for a vampire. "Sookie, right? I've heard a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope?" I smiled.

He took my hand, brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Lafayette speaks highly of you."

I blushed and turned to stare at Lafayette. He was glowing. "Well, he's always been a good liar."

"Shut up, girl," Lafayette said, slapping my hand out of Phillip's and grasping his around the vampire's. "You knows I love you."

"Of course," Phillip interjected with a chuckle. It wasn't a deep rumble, so I was guessing he was closer to the late teens than the early twenties I'd guessed before. "I've heard rumor of you elsewhere."

"You have?" I asked, instantly suspicious again. It was ingrained in me to be distrustful, I think.

He nodded. "Fangtasia.," he said, and I relaxed slightly. "You're a bit of a legend there."

I snorted. "More like a nuisance."

He smiled wide and cheerful. It was a little contagious. "Or that," he allowed.

Maybe Phillip wasn't so bad after all.

Tara came over and gabbed a bit, hugging Phillip around his neck like an old friend. It was a nice, normal moment where the friends of one friend met his or her prospective significant other and either gave their seal of approval or made the decision to interfere in some way or another later on. I think Phillip passed with flying colors.

Sort of.

When he and Lafayette went outside a few minutes later, I kept an ear trained in their direction. Sure, I didn't have the amplified hearing of a vampire, but I could absolutely listen in on Lafayette's thoughts. Intrusive? Probably, but I was making sure Phillip didn't do anything he shouldn't be doing.

Like glamouring Lafayette into murdering innocent people and trying to frame _me_ for it.

Yeah, I'd thought it. I think it would be stupid of me to put all my theoretical eggs in a figurative Bill basket. Was he working with someone else? It seemed logical to think that if the Queen wanted me so badly, she'd have enlisted others in her quest.

Or perhaps all our theories had been wrong to begin with. Could there be something else at work here? Something bigger than what we'd seen so far? It didn't seem irresponsible for me to think there were things Eric and I had missed in the grand scheme. We'd seen so little evidence, as it was. What we did have was merely conjecture and could possibly be construed as coincidental. I figured it was just smart of me to be thinking outside the box and keeping my mind open to other theories.

When Lafayette's thoughts became a little X-rated for my tastes, I pulled back and only checked in every once in a while. Lafayette was a friend. A real and true friend, and one of my only friends. Sure, I'd known Dawn and Maudette, but I hadn't had a hugely personal relationship with them. If someone tried to fuck with my friends, people I loved... _I'm_ not even certain what I'd be capable of.

"How long a break is that boy going to take?" I heard Sam mutter.

I was passing the bar. Tara was pouring a drink. I remember it so clearly because everything seemed to slow down at that exact moment. I looked at the clock behind the bar as I checked mentally for Lafayette. Two minds, plus the vampire. One was glamoured. One was... "Oh, God!"

"What?" Sam asked.

I ran, tossing the phone off the counter to Sam. "Call an ambulance. Call..." _the police, someone. Anyone._ I didn't finish because I was out the door before I could even complete my thought. Too late. I was too late.

Sam, Tara, and Terry, who'd been working in the kitchen with Lafayette, were close behind, but I waved them back as I ran out into the night. Gone. The vampire and glamoured human were gone. Lafayette was … I listened... I got nothing. _No! God, no._ I tried to remember an approximate location from where I'd been standing in the bar.

"What's going on?" Sam called. I knew what I looked like. Insane. Standing there in the middle of the parking lot with my neck craning at odd angles. Who knows what expression my face held? My teeth were hurting from clenching my jaw so tightly.

_There._ My head jerked, my eyes following an instant later. Dread made my steps heavy. It felt like there was a rock lodged in my throat. "Shh. Stay back," I said to Sam. "Call the cops."

My car. Lafayette was in my car. Why was he in my car? I walked over, opened the door and screamed. Other sounds followed. Screaming, running, gasping. None of them could be heard over the sound of my own horror, my own rage. Blood rushed in my ears.

Lafayette tumbled out of the car, falling in a crumpled heap at my feet. He was still warm. Soft. His blood splashed on my bare legs. My socks turned crimson. Lafayette's blood. My vision turned hazy and I scrambled away, rocks skittering beneath my soles.

Phillip was definitely involved somehow. I should have seen it. I should have known. I should have paid closer attention. If I'd only been listening more carefully. I'd killed Lafayette by allowing him privacy. His blood was on my hands, but someone else was going to pay. He couldn't have gotten far. Even if he had, Eric was the area Sheriff. All vampires had to obey his word.

I shivered.

I turned to Tara. "What's his name?" Was that my voice? So harsh. So hard. It was a frightening rasp. "Phillip's last name?" I said again.

Tara shook her head, not understanding. Her eyes were stained with tears. I could read a different kind of horror on her face. Hers wasn't as deadly, as deranged, as mine. "Oh, God," she said, now crying fully.

Her sobs were like a stab in the chest, but I'd console her later. I'd pulled what I needed from her thoughts. I passed Sam. He was on the phone with emergency response. It was too late for an ambulance. "Keys," I said to him. "Give me your keys."

Sam covered the phone as he reached into his pocket and tossed me his keys. "What do you think you're doing, Sookie?"

"I'm going to kill the bastard," I said. "They'll come after me," I said, talking about the Bon Temps police. Lafayette had been killed in my car. My car! I didn't know when they'd come, just that they would. "Your truck will be at my house." After a second thought, I said, "Or at Fangtasia. Tell them I stole it."

I left before he could say anything else, running to his truck, cranking it, then peeling out of the parking lot. I watched in the rear view mirror as Lafayette's body shrank and finally disappeared. Dust followed in the trucks wake, but I saw nothing. Heard nothing.

I drove.

I listened.

No vampire. Nothing. I kept my mind trained out in the distance as I steered Sam's truck. I could barely think of anything aside from blood. I wanted it. I pressed harder on the gas pedal, my mind made. My pulse felt heavy. My stomach ached. Only one thing could relieve this... whatever, I was feeling and that was blood. I _was_ vengeance.

I pulled into Fangtasia in record time. Vampire minds swarmed like a black fog in mine. I left the keys in the ignition, just in case. Sam would need his truck. I closed the door and walked to the back entrance. The key pad lit as I entered my security code.

Ginger was in the hall. She skedaddled as soon as she caught sight of me. I wondered what my face looked like? No one else met me as I walked. Straight into Eric's office. I didn't knock.

"Phillip McGregor," I said. "I want him."

Eric was shocked at my appearance, but it was brief. "Who?"

I repeated the name. "Bring him in. I need to..." I thought about it. What was I going to do? Kill him? Possibly. Hurt him? Definitely. "Question him," I finished.

He perked up and stood, appearing in front of me in the same instant. That I didn't react at all to his vampire speed went a long way in defining how absolutely gone I was. "He knows something?"

I nodded. "He killed my friend."

Eric's jaw went tight just as someone knocked on the door. Pam's face peered in. "Phillip McGregor is here to see you."

I smiled, and slipped the dagger from my shorts. It was silver and beautiful and deadly. Eric's eyes flicked to it briefly before saying, "Show him to the back room." I shrugged off his touch.

Pam gave a stiff nod and left without another word. "I will kill him," I told Eric.

He tugged on my elbow, guiding me from the room and into the hall. "Let's see what he knows first."

He didn't argue, so I was fine with questioning Phillip. I could reason enough to know that we needed to do that. If we didn't, I knew I'd find myself in prison for a long, long time. I'd never get out of this dilemma. All those murders would go unsolved. As long as Eric didn't stand in my way when the time came, I was willing to play along.

"He is mine," I said.

If Eric took that away from me, I'd kill him too. I would ask the questions. I would demand the truth. Phillip owed Eric nothing. I'd take the truth from him, one drop at a time, if I had to. Eric didn't say anything, so I took that as acquiescence. I fingered my blade. What else did I have? _Ah._ I yanked the chain from around my neck. I eyed them both. It wasn't much, but it would do.

Eric came to a stop at the end of the hall. What appeared to be a walk-in freezer or refrigerator stood before us. I'd ignored it before, but now I noticed it with new eyes. An odd looking plate sat to the side of the door. Eric pressed his palm to the screen and the door hissed open.

We went down the stairs that lay just beyond, and florescent lights buzzed on as we descended. I felt like someone else as I took in the surroundings. As if someone else had taken over my body. In a sense, someone else had, and she was... hungry.

Two chains hung from the ceiling, and I had the thought that they'd do nicely. I saw Phillip hanging from them in my mind. I moved to the center of the room, just within reach of those chains. Silver, I noted. _Good._ I waited.

Eric moved up behind me. "What has happened?"

I shook my head; he'd find out soon enough. The sound of someone struggling preceded the heavy footsteps on the stairs. I turned to watch as Alcide and Chow carried Phillip straight to the center of the room. Chow held him still as Alcide latched one wrist in the manacle, and then moved to the other.

Were's could handle silver, unlike a vampire. I gripped the hilt of my dagger, knowing it could be deadly to the vampire he was stringing up.

Phillip continued to struggle, even as the silver began to burn at the skin of his wrists. He hissed. He cursed. He pleaded. His words fell on deaf ears. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. His eyes were full of fear. I relished that fear. Thirsted for it and more.

Chow and Alcide stepped back and then retreated up the stairs. They said nothing, as if this was business as usual. Eric hadn't looked at anyone. His eyes were on me. His stance was relaxed, casual even. I couldn't read what his eyes said.

I blinked and walked to Phillip, blade extended.

"Sookie. Sookie. What is going on? Let me down from here. What is going on?"

I stared at that pretty face. "Shut up," I said, pressing my blade to his throat. "You will answer my questions, and you will answer them truthfully. Fully. Don't try to bullshit me."

He looked genuinely confused. His youthful face was the perfect cover. "I don't know what's going on," he whispered. He was a very good actor.

"I know you killed him," I said. I heard Eric move, saw him in my peripheral. He didn't move again. "I want to know why."

"Who?" he asked, continuing with his farce. "I didn't kill anyone, I swear – Arghh!"

His last sentence was cut off as I stuck the dagger to his side. I watched as it sizzled, sliding easily through his shirt and between his ribs. Blood dripped. "Who are you working with? What is your goal? What do you want with me?"

Tears, pink with his blood, began rolling down his face. I'd never seen a vampire cry. I tilted my head, curiously, then twisted the blade when he said nothing. He screamed. I hoped the room was soundproof.

I pulled the blade out and he sagged against the chains. "Why are you here?" He sobbed. "Answer me!"

"Eric," he whispered, his eyes flicking to Eric. Eric ignored him; his eyes never left me.

I stepped closer, shoving the blade deep into the opposite side. Blood coated my hand. I felt just as cold as it was. Lafayette's image flashed in my mind. His eyes, dark and dead. His expression, fear, horror, pain. His throat, severed and bloody. I could see cartilage, maybe bone.

He was my Gran. I twisted the knife, brought it out and struck again. The blood now coating my arm began to sizzle. Lafayette was my brother. My parents. Taken. All of them. Before their time. Death. So much death. I was their avenger. Death's avenger.

I removed the blade, side stepped, slid the sharp edge over Phillip's stomach. It sliced his t-shirt, burned, and left a trial of seared skin exposed. It took no strength for me to press it forward. Phillip screamed in earnest.

"Why did you kill him?" I asked. "Lafayette was my friend. You should have come for me. It would have been easier. Now," I growled, leaning into my arm. I felt blood begin to soak into my shirt. "Now, you will die."

Something must've got through, because Phillip's red-rimmed eyes met mine. He drew back at whatever he saw in them. "Lafayette? He's... But I just saw him. Oh, God!"

My words came out like a hiss, through my teeth. "Do not pretend to know nothing. Do not pretend to care. I loved him. He was my friend. He was my family. You did not have to kill him to get to me."

"I didn't. I didn't," Phillip repeated, over and over. "I loved him. I did. I loved him."

Eric was suddenly there, his fangs bared. He moved to strike, but I'd withdrawn my dagger and it hit the point of Eric's chin. I shook my head. He held his hands up and retreated, but said, "You will answer her questions as you would mine."

My eyes moved from his and landed on Phillip. "Who are you working for?"

He was shaking his head. "No one. I work at a twenty-four hour pawn shop in town. I don't know anything."

When Eric asked a question of his own, I stayed silent. It was one I'd missed. "Why did you request audience with me? Why are you here now?"

He frowned, his eyes flicking between Eric and myself. "I got a message from you. It said you requested my presence at Fangtasia. I left." He looked at me, pleading with his eyes. "I left straight away. Lafayette – "

I pressed the tip of the blade over his heart. "Don't say his name. You don't deserve to say his name."

He nodded jerkily. "He was fine. He was fine. I swear it."

I felt Eric's hand on my shoulder. My dagger hand twitched. "My phone was stolen yesterday. Where's your phone? Let me see it."

"Pocket," Phillip said urgently. "It's in my pocket. I swear, Sookie, I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know. I didn't kill him. I swear it. You have to believe me. You have to."

I was starting to shake. The blade in my hand, wet with blood, suddenly felt heavy. My eyes flicked to Eric. He'd dug Phillip's phone out and had scrolled through his messages. His eyes looked regretful when he nodded to me.

I dropped the dagger and stumbled back. I looked at Phillip. Saw what I'd done, as if I'd been thrust into the scene at that exact moment. Some of it had healed, but the horror was evident in his clothes. Soaked in blood, much of it in tatters. My eyes sought Eric again. I kept retreating backward until my ankles hit the first step. There was blood on the floor near his feet.

"I got your floor all wet," is all I could manage before I bolted up the stairs.

I ran, and ran, and ran some more, surprised to find Sam's truck still in the parking lot. Some part of me remembered that the police would be after me, but they weren't yet. I hopped in, cranked the engine, and sped off down the road.

I made it all the way home, miraculously, before I broke down. What had I just done? What had I just done? No cops awaited me there either, shocking me further. I shut off the truck, left the keys in it, and took off into the woods. There was only one place I wanted to be right then, and it wasn't inside my house.

I kicked off my shoes while I ran, hopping around as I reached to take off my socks. Soaked. I was soaked in blood. My shirt followed. I'd rather visit my family in my bra and shorts than I would covered in the blood of multiple people.

One of which I'd bled all on my own. I was a monster. I tripped, falling to my face and knees just as I reached Gran's grave. My eyes were wet. Noises that I couldn't even call sobs, heaved out of me with each of my ragged breaths.

It eventually slowed and then ceased. What the hell was I? How could I have done that? _Oh, God!_ I froze, stopped breathing, sat back on my heels. Not a sound rustled in the woods. I called out anyway.

"You can come out now. I know you're there."

**A/N: Like I said, I will update twice this week. I know I've kind of left you hanging here, but I'll have the next one up as soon as I can.**

**So, thoughts? I'm extremely anxious to hear from you. If you have the time, drop me a review or two. Thanks in advance!**

**KISSES!**


	17. Graveyard Confessions

**A/N: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. I was a little worried about its reception, to be honest, but I'm glad that you all seemed to enjoy it. Thank you far taking the time to read and review. I love you all dearly.**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter worked the kinks out of this bad boy. Any remaining mistakes are courtesy of me, myself, and I.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the people. I just play with them a little. Or a lot.**

**Previously...**

_I dropped the dagger and stumbled back. I looked at Phillip. Saw what I'd done, as if I'd been thrust into the scene at that exact moment. Some of it had healed, but the horror was evident in his clothes. Soaked in blood, much of it in tatters. My eyes sought Eric again. I kept retreating backward until my ankles hit the first step. There was blood on the floor near his feet._

"_I got your floor all wet," is all I could manage before I bolted up the stairs._

_I ran, and ran, and ran some more, surprised to find Sam's truck still in the parking lot. Some part of me remembered that the police would be after me, but they weren't yet. I hopped in, cranked the engine, and sped off down the road._

_I made it all the way home, miraculously, before I broke down. What had I just done? What had I just done? No cops awaited me there either, shocking me further. I shut off the truck, left the keys in it, and took off into the woods. There was only one place I wanted to be right then, and it wasn't inside my house. _

_I kicked off my shoes while I ran, hopping around as I reached to take off my socks. Soaked. I was soaked in blood. My shirt followed. I'd rather visit my family in my bra and shorts than I would covered in the blood of multiple people._

_One of which I'd bled all on my own. I was a monster. I tripped, falling to my face and knees just as I reached Gran's grave. My eyes were wet. Noises that I couldn't even call sobs, heaved out of me with each of my ragged breaths._

_It eventually slowed and then ceased. What the hell was I? How could I have done that? Oh, God! I froze, stopped breathing, sat back on my heels. Not a sound rustled in the woods. I called out anyway. _

"_You can come out now. I know you're there."_

**SPOV**

Eric slid silently from the darkness. I stared straight ahead, not bothering to even glance his direction as he sat down next to me. I felt broken and raw. Nauseated.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

He shifted slightly, getting more comfortable I presumed. His gaze was toward the darkness, too. I wondered what the cemetery at night looked like to him. His vision was much better than mine. Could he see the worms beneath the dirt? Pick out the owls in the woods? The tiniest of creatures? How did the world look through his eyes? How did I?

He stayed silent long enough that I almost forgot my original question. "Phillip's story checked out. He's worked at that place for over a year now."

I gagged, bit back my tears. I did not deserve that release. I should suffer for what I'd done. I was glad he was innocent. I was also angry. That meant whoever had killed Lafayette was still out there running around somewhere. While I'd been playing bad cop, he or she, had gotten further away. "Can you trace your phone? Find out who has it? Where it is?"

I felt more than saw Eric shrug. He was close. His shirt sleeve brushed against my arm. "I had the tracking device removed. I have some people looking into it."

Which meant it wasn't likely. "He was innocent," I whispered.

"Yes."

I felt tears fall, despite my struggle to hold them back. "I almost killed him."

Eric said, "You didn't."

That didn't make me feel better. "I would have." _That_, I knew.

"Perhaps."

I did look at him then. "You would have let me."

He didn't try to deny it. Instead he said, "Not until we had the information we sought."

"It would have been murder, Eric. I would have killed an innocent person."

How could he seem so calm about it? It was a wonder I was even still sitting there. I felt like little pieces of myself were breaking and falling away, melting into the earth beneath me. I did not know what would remain once I was finished rotting.

"No one is innocent, Sookie," Eric said, shaking his head.

"I wanted to kill him! I wanted his blood. I felt alive when I saw it coating my hands!" I cried. "Who wants that kind of thing? That kind of horror?" _A monster_, I answered in my mind. A monster.

Eric looked away. "I saw you. You were not so gone."

I snorted, even to my own ears it sounded insane. "I was, Eric. I _so_ was. Would you have let me?"

I could tell from the look on his face that he wanted to lie to me. I knew he wouldn't. Eric did not lie. Not really. He hid things. Told me things in his own time. But he'd never lied to me, not so directly. I looked away, hiding my shame. My disgust.

"Was this your first?"

A made a sound, half derision, all sarcasm. I couldn't even muster anger at his assumption. I looked at my Gran's grave, tucking my knees beneath my chin. "Torturing someone? Of course it was."

"It gets easier," he said softly.

I swallowed bile. "It won't happen again," I said harshly.

"It will," Eric said, drawing my attention to his hard expression. "There are those with the capability to do what you just did, and there are those without. Someday, sometime, you will feel this need again. This rage. You'll feel more in control the next time."

It disgusted me that his words were probably true. I _was_ a monster. "And if I'm wrong again? If I kill someone next time?" I looked away. "I do not want that to happen again."

He was quiet for long enough that I thought our conversation was over. I could almost pretend he wasn't there. He was as silent as the tears that rolled down my cheeks. Silent as the night. When he finally spoke, I couldn't bear to look at him. What kind of horror must've been written on my face? It was a horror of my own making, that much I knew.

"When I first awakened to this new life, my Maker forced me to hunt immediately. I was hesitant... frightened maybe. In those days, we did not know such creatures existed. Of course, there were tales, folklore, talk of beings that sustained themselves on blood and gore, but not many of us believed such nonsense. Usually those who spoke or believed such things were thought ill with madness.

"I was no different. I did not know what had become of me, just that I was different. Stronger. The world looked new to my eyes. I felt a hunger like nothing can compare. Waking a vampire was not unlike being born a completely different creature, with only flashes of memory from another life.

"When my Maker instructed me to feed, to hunt, I did not know that he expected it to be a human until it was too late. The thirst was overwhelming; I found I could not think around it at all, so when I came upon the man in the woods, I did what came naturally."

Eric paused then, and I was afraid to even take a breath for fear he'd stop talking. His voice was a comfort, a soothing balm for my soul. It made me forget, if only for a moment, what I had done. I wasn't sure where he was going with his story, but it felt big, important somehow, that he was sharing it with me. I kept silent and still until he'd had time to gather his thoughts.

"He was dead before I even realized what I'd done," he finally continued. I should have been sickened by his admission, but I wasn't. I wasn't any better. "I was angry. So angry, but it wasn't because I'd just killed a man. No, I was angry because there was no blood left to drink in him. I'd drained him dry, and it still hadn't been enough.

"Eventually, I'd sobered enough to realize what I'd done. I was horrified, but not so much that it kept me from doing it again. I've killed thousands, Sookie, but none of them affected me as much as the first. You know why?"

My gaze had drifted to him during his story, and when his eyes lit on mine, I shook my head. "Why?" I asked in a whisper.

"Because," he said and looked away again. "I had no control." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "There is a difference in knowing what you're doing or being utterly victim to a madness. You were not so out of control as I was, but there was a madness to it. You will keep more of yourself in the future."

I frowned. Was that what was bothering me so much about what I'd done? Losing control? I didn't think that was all there was to it, but it was definitely something I needed to look deeper at. I'd tortured another person, vampire or not, and I was sickened by the lack of emotion I felt while doing it. If it hadn't been a vampire, my victim would have been dead and I'd be no better than those I'd wanted to hunt.

"There is something wrong with me," I whispered aloud.

He smiled softly as he looked at me. His fingers brushed hair from my face. "There is nothing wrong with you."

I turned away, laying my cheek against my knees. "Another grave will join you soon," I said, looking at those of my family. "This one is my fault too."

That's what hurt the most about it all. My parents and brother had died because of me. My Grandfather, well, that had been natural causes, but he'd had to deal with me as a toddler, so I'd probably caused it to happen faster. And my Gran, if I'd been stronger, less afraid, I would have been able to save her.

Lafayette's murder was my fault because I hadn't been listening. I hadn't paid close enough attention, even after all my eavesdropping, and he'd paid for my mistake with his life. If I'd only kept listening to him and Phillip, I would have known when Phillip left, and when the others had arrived. I could have saved Lafayette. Then I wouldn't have tortured and almost killed Phillip wrongfully.

"If vampires didn't turn to dust when they died," I whispered to the darkness, "Then there'd be another. At my hand. I almost killed a man." Saying it aloud made it all the more real. All the more painful.

"I would have done it," Eric whispered. A gasp caught in my throat. I was too afraid to look at him. "I assumed his innocence very quickly."

"What? How?"

He ignored me and continued. "If you'd lost control, I would have ended Phillip's life. Twisted his head off. You would not have had his blood on your hands."

"What? Why?" I faced him, watching the profile of his face. What the hell was he saying?

Eric didn't turn or even glance at me. His fingers toyed with the grass covering my Grandfather's grave. He looked...I couldn't place it, exactly. Uncertain? I studied him, replayed his words, trying to puzzle out his behavior, his words' meaning.

He would have killed him? Even knowing, or assuming, Phillip's innocence, Eric would have killed him. He would have killed him, so I didn't have to. I'd wanted it at the time. I'd wanted Phillip to die and I'd wanted it to be by my hands. I would have interfered.

I told Eric as much, but all he said was, "You would have forgiven me for it."

"I..." I thought about it and realized, knowing what I knew now, I probably would have. I'd have been afraid of him, thought him a monster or worse, but I would have forgiven him. Unless, of course, Phillip had been guilty. Even now, I could still feel that burning need for vengeance, how hot and unyielding it had felt. "I would have hated if you took that away from me," I said, not explaining.

Eric understood. "I would not have interfered, if that were the case." I started to cry.

"How did you know he was innocent?"

He shrugged, watching me closely. "It was suspect to me that he showed up at almost the exact time you did. Why would he have come calling? If you'd been thinking clearly, you would have noted that as well."

He was right, of course. I had been... 'Out of my mind' was too harsh, but it had been close. I was single-minded, focused on vengeance and nothing else. The details came now, and how suspicious it was: the timing, Phillip's appearance, his confusion, all seemed glaringly obvious. We were being played very well.

"I can't believe he's dead," I said to no one in particular. It was all I'd been able to focus on during that time. Lafayette's death. My parents. My Gran. My brother. This undeniable need to torture, maim and kill, the one responsible. _Who is that person? Why is she inside me?_

"Sometimes," Eric said, scooting close enough I could feel the press of his arm against mine. "Sometimes it can overwhelm."

A sob broke free, and I buried my face in my hands. I wasn't sure what Eric was talking about, at least not completely. Grief? Vengeance? Both? Blood? Death? All of it? Life? I cried, and Eric sat, silent and unmoving, next to me. He did not try to comfort me, and I was glad. I did not need or want his comfort. I did not need to be consoled. I had to feel what I was feeling or I'd never, ever be able to move past it. Even if I did, I wasn't sure I should. My outlook was bleak.

I'd witnessed something from myself, not just within, but on the outside, that night, and it frightened me. I did not ever want to see that side of myself again, but I knew I would. Somehow, someway, one day, something would happen and I'd snap. I had to learn to deal with that darkness, to control it, to settle it into something that _could_ be controlled.

I did not know how to do that. I did not know where to start.

I knew Eric had been right before, and now his silence was golden. But it was also maddening. I'd heard people's thoughts my whole life, heard their judgments, their accusations. Today had proved to be one of the heaviest of them all. I almost couldn't bear _not_ knowing what Eric thought. Especially now. After what he'd witnessed.

"You must think I'm a horrible person," I said, lifting my face from my hands. I didn't dare look at him. I did not want to see those same judgments, those same accusations in his eyes. I deserved them, but I was too weak to face them.

Eric said nothing for a long moment, simply picked up one of my hands and held it in both of his. He kissed my palm, licked away the tears, and squeezed it once before dropping it back to my lap. "If I could, I would let you see yourself with my eyes."

I wasn't sure if that was good or bad, so I asked. "What does that mean?"

He turned to me and smiled. It was soft and genuine. "I see beauty. Beauty," he whispered and looked away. "I see things I've long forgotten. I look at you and feel. I see your eyes, and they reflect me," he sighed and I took the first breath I had since he'd started talking. "When I look at you, I am afraid."

Leave it to Eric to pay me, what was probably, the highest and most flattering complement of my life, while still managing to make it sound like an insult.

I stared at him in profile, highlighted by moonbeams that broke through the trees. What did I see when I looked at him? His nose, straight and narrow, his chin, slightly pointed. His lips, full, perfect, and pouty. He blinked incredibly long eyelashes and turned to meet my stare.

I saw... beauty. I saw a monster. I saw a man. When I looked in his eyes, I saw... I blinked and looked away. I shivered, but not from the cold. It was warm outside, pleasant. The cold came from within. What was wrong with me?

The silence stretched for an unknown amount of time. Eric's gaze went back out into the distance. I don't know what he watched, or if he even saw anything. I know I didn't; I was too busy looking inside myself.

What I'd done, what I'd seen myself do, frightened me. I wished my Gran was there. I placed my palm to the earth above her resting place. It felt warm, alive. Why, then, did I feel so cold? I missed her so damn much. I missed my parents, who I'd hardly got to know. My brother, who I'd argued with more than anything, though I'd loved him with all my heart. Why was I here, alive and breathing, and they weren't?

"Back in my day," Eric said, startling me. "We did not have such things." He traced a finger over the A in my Gran's name.

"Graves, you mean?" I asked.

Eric nodded. "In my time, we burned our dead. Or if we were at sea, we let the ocean take them. There was no place to visit them. No place to mourn them, except for within."

How sad, I thought. "How old are you, Eric?" I said it softly, hoping he would answer this time. It wasn't that I needed to know; I just wanted to know. I wanted to know something about him.

"Time was not measured then as it is now," he said just as softly. His voice was distant, and I wondered not for the first time what memory held him captive. "If I had to guess, I would say I was in my early thirties when I was turned. That was over a thousand years ago."

"A thousand years?" I breathed. What must that have been like? To have existed for that length of time? It seemed like too long for one person to live. "I can't imagine," I said.

He shrugged. "It passes without notice most of the time. A day turns into a year. A year to a decade. You forget how long it's been until one day it's been a century. Two."

I looked back at the graves before me. Each of them taken, some before their time, some not. All those years Eric had lived, I wondered how many he'd had to watch die. It was a given that he had no family left either. Death connected us, and it was strange that I found some comfort in that.

"Why do you mourn them so?" Eric asked after a moment. It took me a minute to give him my attention, long enough that he asked another question. "Why do you visit them here?"

"This is where they rest," I said with a shrug. "I miss them being in my life. I love them still. Why wouldn't I visit them? Why wouldn't I mourn them?"

"But they are dead," he said, obviously not understanding. How many years had to pass before he'd forgotten how it felt to lose someone? "They are not here."

I looked away. "I know that," I admitted, my voice harsher than I intended. "I know they're dead, but I feel closer to them here than anywhere else."

"They have moved on, Sookie, why do you not?"

Anger brought my eyes to his face. Anger and something else. Something I wasn't sure I had the capability to analyze, much less define. What was he asking me? Did I really want to answer the question? How would I answer it?

Eric was really old. How could I explain loss, the loss of your entire family, to someone who hadn't experienced that kind of loss in over a thousand years? How could I make him understand what it felt like? How lonely? How impossible it was to move on, when everyone else was dead?

While I debated if I should punch him or how I could answer him, he continued talking.

"Do you know what I did when my brother passed?"

"No." I turned to face him, giving him my full attention, thrilled to be out of the spotlight.

He smiled and angled toward me. Our knees touched. "I married his wife."

"What?" Whatever I'd expected him to say, it wasn't that.

"He left behind two sons and a wife who was pregnant with his third. My other brother was younger and had not yet married. As the oldest in the family, it was my duty to make sure they were cared for. If not..." he trailed off, shrugging. "Aude and I had a son of our own a few years later."

"Oh," I said, not really knowing what else to say. "Did you love her?"

Eric looked shocked at my question, and I think I was too honestly. I'm not sure why I asked. "In my own way, I suppose I did," he said. "Perhaps if we'd had longer, I would have grown to love her more."

"How long were y'all together?" The questions I asked seemed insignificant to the story he was telling, to the questions he'd asked me, which was probably why I was asking them. Anything to keep from analyzing my reasons for living in the past.

"Three years after the birth of our son, I went away for supplies. Food, clothing, medicines. Our ship was ambushed and we were stranded after the battle to repair damages. Our second night on land is when I first met my maker. Three nights later I awoke as I am now."

So, he'd left his brother's wife in the same position in which she'd been only a few years before. Just, I thought, as he'd started to have a life with her. "What happened to your family then? Your wife? Your son?" I suppose children would have been more accurate, considering he had three of his brother's he'd been taking care of, but Eric didn't seem to mind my mistake.

"I was forbidden to see them," he said and looked away. I reached out and took his hand on instinct. He looked at my hand, clasped on top of his, but otherwise didn't move. "Glamour is not the only form of control a vampire possesses."

"What do you mean?" I asked, pulling my hand back into my lap.

"A Maker commands, and a child must obey. He commanded I mustn't see them, so I obeyed." He said it without even a hint of emotion, and I think I was beginning to realize that's when he was feeling the strongest about something.

"You were never curious?" I asked.

He looked offended as he met my stare. "Of course, but there was nothing I could do. I did as he bade, nothing more, nothing less."

I frowned. That seemed horrible to me. Worse even than hearing of someone's death, would be not knowing of their life. Glamour was one form of taking a person's will. A vampire Maker, it seemed, possessed another. "I'm sorry, Eric."

He smiled. "Years later, once my Maker had released me, I looked into it. My family. My father and brother, Aude, had long passed, but I saw my great-grandchildren. The youngest had the look of me."

He sounded both amused and proud, and I couldn't help but smile at him. "Did you keep track of them?"

His eyes were sad as he said, "No." He reached forward and took my hands in his. "It would do me no good to make myself a part of their life. We existed in different worlds. I left them to theirs and moved on with mine. It is the nature of life."

I pulled my hands from his, understanding what he was saying. "My Gran was like my mother. She died right in front of me," I said. I couldn't look at him as I spoke; instead I stared at her grave. "I come here to see her, to talk to her, when I feel... overwhelmed."

"But she is not here, Sookie, none of them are. They have died."

"I know that," I whispered harshly.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Here lie their bodies. Nothing more. Nothing less. They are of the earth now. Within it. A part of it. A part of you. Wherever you live, there they are. It is time to let them go."

"I shouldn't have to let them go," I said, tears now filling my eyes. "They should still be alive."

"But they are not," was all he said.

"You know," I began, not angry at Eric, but not exactly happy with him either. "My parents and brother were killed in a car wreck. My Grandfather died from health issues. My Gran was murdered. I know all this. I've seen in. Lived through it. What I don't understand is why?

"Why did they have to die before it was time? Why did I get left behind? I'm all alone, and I don't understand why. I feel guilty that I'm here and they're not. I feel as if I should have died along with them."

I shook my head and laid down between my grandparents. Their headstones touched my hair. I looked at the stars, not at Eric. I imagined I was a morbid sight for him. Nothing but a bra and shorts, bloody hands, a child in his eyes, laying on the graves of her family.

"I feel bad that I still live," I continued, "But not bad enough that I'm willing to kill myself." I sighed and closed my eyes. "I've never been the suicidal type, but I'd be lying if I said I never thought about it. I feel guilty for having life, and yet I don't want to die. I want to keep on living, even if it means I'm forever alone."

"Not forever," Eric said. "Your time will come."

His time wouldn't. It went unsaid, but it was obvious in his tone. Eric was immortal. Undying. Forever alive. I blinked my eyes up at him. He stared at me, but I didn't think he could see me. Or maybe he could. Maybe he could see so much of me I felt invisible.

I reached up. Touched his face. What was it about him? Eric and I were two different species, and yet I felt like he was the only person in the world who'd ever got me. The real me. The one on the inside, little as I let it show. Only I would find more comfort with the dead than with the living. "You are a beautiful bastard."

He chuckled. Held my hand to his face. I stroked his jaw with my thumb. "I prefer to think of myself as devastatingly handsome."

I smiled and let my hand drop. Let my head roll to the side, facing away. "Why am I here?" I asked.

"I wondered that myself," Eric answered, drawing my gaze back to his. "Macabre place to come and find yourself. To soul-search."

I shook my head, feeling the dirt and grass shift beneath me. "I mean why? Why am I here? Not here as in the cemetery, but here as in..." I waved my hands. "Here?"

Eric's face loomed over mine. His eyes were like the darkest sky, and filled with just as many stars. "To live, my Sookie," he answered quietly. "You are here to live."

When he leaned down to kiss me, I kissed him back. It was soft. Softer than anything I'd ever felt before, and definitely gentler than anything I'd ever expect from a vampire. But Eric had never been what I was expecting, had he?

His tongue touched my lower lip and I opened on a sigh, our breaths mingling. My hand went to his hair, still bound at the nape of his neck. I'd never seen it down before. I wanted to. Just then, I needed to. I wanted to know how long it was. Would it touch my face as we kissed? Caress my fingers? Was it as soft as his lips?

I pulled the tie loose and it fell in silky strands over my face and into my hands. I pushed him away, not wanting so much to end the kiss but wanting to see him. All of him. And he was beautiful. I touched his hair, sheets on either side of his face, of mine. Devastatingly handsome was a very apt description.

Was it his blood that affected me so? Was that why I felt so connected to him? Was his blood why, when I looked in his eyes, I saw a likeness of myself in them? I wasn't sure, and I think that's what held me back. It wasn't fear alone of him, of what he was, or what he was capable of as a vampire, but more fear that he was a man and I was a woman, and when he looked at me like that, it made me feel vulnerable.

"Why are you here?" I asked. I toyed with his hair, twirled it around my finger. His was softer than mine, not as coarse. "Why did you come?"

He remained leaning over me, propped on one arm, and traced my lips with two fingers. "Because," he said, his eyes on mine, "You are my Sookie."

"Stop that," I said. "Stop calling me that. I am not yours. I am mine."

He smiled down at me, oblivious to my annoyance, or at least ignoring it. "As I am mine. That doesn't mean some part of you, some day, will be mine."

I didn't know what he was talking about. Or maybe I wasn't sure I wanted to admit that I knew what he was talking about. By his words, that meant that some part of him was mine, or would be mine, too. Why did that make it so hard to breathe? "I don't have anything left to give you," I finally said.

"I think you might be surprised," Eric said.

I shook my head, blinked away tears, and looked away. What did he want from me? More importantly, what did I want from him? Lines had blurred, and I wasn't sure how it'd happened or how to get them back to how they were supposed to be.

If I did know how, would I even want to? I had not realized how much I'd longed to connect with someone, to be able to depend on them, until I found myself doing exactly that with Eric. It was frightening to realize he'd become someone important to me. In too many ways. I did not need to like Eric. I couldn't afford that.

I pushed him back until I had room enough to sit up. I needed distance from him. I had to get away before Eric's words became truth. I could tell I was already on my way to relying on Eric being a part of my life. And I of his. That was foolish on so many levels.

"If you hadn't healed me that night," I said, referring to the night of the vampire attack. The night, I think, things had started to change for us. It wasn't the attack so much, as our talk in his office before. "I would be dead right now. It's where I should be. Why did you come that night? Why did you save me?"

I was grateful, but I was still curious. Besides, he'd intervened with fate. My destiny hadn't been to die with my parents, or my Gran, but I was certain I was meant to die that night.

He shrugged, not even pretending not to notice I was pushing him away. If he was bothered by it, I couldn't tell. "Sometimes, I ask myself the same thing." Or maybe I _could_ tell. "I came because I was angry."

"You weren't the only one," I muttered, scooting away.

He gave me a look, and I shut up. "I came to frighten you. To scare you into being more... agreeable."

I chuckled darkly. "Do I annoy you that much?"

"You've no idea," he said, showing me fang.

I laughed, showing him my shaking hands. "I'm very afraid of you. See? Shaking in my boots."

I could handle this. Much more easily than where we'd been moments before, and much more comfortably. This was what I'd accustomed myself to. Hardened exteriors, neither one of us willing to give an inch of anything more personal than bickering childishly. I knew how to deal with _this_ us. Not so much the real us. It was both sad and a relief.

"But then I saw you," he continued. I stopped laughing instantly. Stopped breathing too, I think. "And I... I think I panicked." He frowned and looked off beyond me. His eyes looked darker. "It's not something I remember ever feeling, at least not in a long time," he shrugged. "I just did what needed to be done."

And I never had thanked him for it, at least not properly. He was being open and honest, I could offer him the same, right? It wouldn't do either of us any good for me to start being hypocritical now. Maybe it was easier that way between us, him being an overbearing asshole, and me being a self-righteous bitch, but it didn't have to be that way. I knew that. It scared me, but I knew that.

"I'm glad you did," I said. "I'm glad you gave me your blood. I'm glad you saved me." Even with everything that was going on, with everything I'd done, found out I was capable of, I knew I was glad to be alive.

"Perhaps a thank you kiss is in order," he suggested.

I smiled, licking at my lips. It was a tempting thought, unfortunately. Very tempting, I was beginning to realize. "I think I've already done that," I said, blushing as I thought of how I'd reacted later that night.

Eric frowned. "Yes, you did. And then you kicked me out, right when it was getting good."

I shivered, remembering. "It wasn't you," I said, knowing how cliché it sounded. "I mean, it was. Sort of, your fangs. I freaked. I just... I don't know. It was too fresh. I kept seeing him. I didn't want you to leave. I know it wasn't rational, just... God, I was a mess." Still am, I thought.

"Still are," Eric said with a teasing smile. I sneered at him, even if I didn't disagree. "A beautiful mess."

"Aww," I cooed, "You say the sweetest things."

"Speaking of things that are sweet," Eric said, suddenly serious. "I think you should take my blood again."

"Why? What for?" I'd just had it the other day. Sure, it hadn't been much, but it'd been some. I was certain it wasn't a good thing to drink a bunch of vampire blood. People had become addicted to it, were hospitalized sometimes, because of it.

"I told you the other night Pam was away on errands."

"Yeah. So?" I knew I wasn't going to like it, whatever it was he had to say.

Couldn't I catch a break? For just one day, couldn't my life be normal again? I thought about Lafayette, about Phillip, Maudette, Dawn and sighed. Never. My life would never be normal. While I'd been out playing the bad guy, whoever it was that was out to frame me, had hours to plan and scheme their next move.

Eric looked... worried. It was possibly the first and probably last time I'd ever see that expression on his face. "She was visiting the Queen in my stead."

I swallowed. "The Queen? Why? You said, in your stead, what do you mean?"

Eric sighed, and even to my eyes he looked tired. At least, I thought grimly, I wasn't the only one all this shit was dragging down. Not that I wanted to drag anyone down with me, but admittedly, it was a nice feeling having someone on my side.

"The night of your attack, I'd received summons from the Queen. I was to meet her in New Orleans within three nights time. I sent Pam in my place, hoping to delay our meeting."

"Shit," I breathed. This wasn't good. It really wasn't good. It was the definition of bad. "I take it she wasn't too pleased by that," I deduced.

"Neither was Pam," Eric said.

"What happened to Pam?" I'd saw her only hours before, at Fangtasia. She'd seemed fine.

"Let's just say, the Queen has a taste for flesh," he said darkly. I wasn't sure what that meant, exactly, but it was unpleasant. That, I knew. "I wouldn't have sent her, had I known she would be punished."

Oh, shit. It was really bad. I felt awful. Responsible. Guilty. I was no better than the Queen of vampires, it seemed, seeing as how I'd been punishing someone only hours earlier. Punishing their flesh, to be exact. "What will happen now? Is Pam okay?"

"Pam is fine. She has since healed. But I must go to New Orleans at once. I was planning to come by tonight to let you know. I will be gone no longer than necessary, but..." he waved his hands, looking seemingly at a loss. It was okay, I knew what he was getting at.

"And you think I might need the extra boost?" I finished, asking to make certain I had it right.

"Exactly," he sighed. "She could keep me for a few nights or a few weeks. I will not be here to keep you safe."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I can keep myself safe."

"I am aware of how safe you keep yourself," he half-snarled. I ignored the jab. "Which is why I think it is best for you to take my blood. You have Pam's number, and she will check in on you periodically, but my blood..." he waved a hand, and I rolled my eyes.

"Is like super duper steroids?" I suggested.

Eric made a face. "I leave at dawn via Anubis."

Anubis. The only vampire-friendly airline in the country. If Eric was flying, the situation with the Queen was more dire than he was letting on. Especially since he was leaving at dawn. Only a few hours away.

With everything that was going on. Murders. Vampire stalkers. Plots and scheming that involved me in ways I didn't yet understand, it would be stupid of me not to take Eric's blood. Then again, if it was my time to die, and I intervened once again by using Eric's blood, what the hell would fate send my way next time? If there was a worse, I didn't really want to know what it was.

"Okay," I said. Stupid, maybe, but I wasn't dying today. Or tomorrow, either, if I could help it. "I'll take your blood."

**A/N: An entire Eric chapter. WOO HOO. And I'm sure you can tell by the ending that there will be more in the next chapter. Thanks so much for reading. I do hope you enjoyed it.**

**Have the time? Drop me a line. I'd love to read your thoughts. Thank you in advance!**

**KISSES!**


	18. Sins of the Past

**A/N: Thank you SO much for the reviews last chapter. You're too kind to me, and I can never express how much your words mean to me. **

**Special thanks: Could not have made it through this story without the support of EtheHunter. She's been amazing!**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the characters and makes the money off them. I'm just lucky to get to play in her world a bit.**

**Previously...**

"_The night of your attack, I'd received summons from the Queen. I was to meet her in New Orleans within three nights time. I sent Pam in my place, hoping to delay our meeting."_

"_Shit," I breathed. This wasn't good. It really wasn't good. It was the definition of bad. "I take it she wasn't too pleased by that," I deduced._

"_Neither was Pam," Eric said. _

"_What happened to Pam?" I'd saw her only hours before, at Fangtasia. She'd seemed fine. _

"_Let's just say, the Queen has a taste for flesh," he said darkly. I wasn't sure what that meant, exactly, but it was unpleasant. That, I knew. "I wouldn't have sent her, had I known she would be punished."_

_Oh, shit. It was really bad. I felt awful. Responsible. Guilty. I was no better than the Queen of vampires, it seemed, seeing as how I'd been punishing someone only hours earlier. Punishing their flesh, to be exact. "What will happen now? Is Pam okay?"_

"_Pam is fine. She has since healed. But I must go to New Orleans at once. I was planning to come by tonight to let you know. I will be gone no longer than necessary, but..." he waved his hands, looking seemingly at a loss. It was okay, I knew what he was getting at._

"_And you think I might need the extra boost?" I finished, asking to make certain I had it right._

"_Exactly," he sighed. "She could keep me for a few nights or a few weeks. I will not be here to keep you safe."_

_I narrowed my eyes at him. "I can keep myself safe."_

"_I am aware of how safe you keep yourself," he half-snarled. I ignored the jab. "Which is why I think it is best for you to take my blood. You have Pam's number, and she will check in on you periodically, but my blood..." he waved a hand, and I rolled my eyes._

"_Is like super duper steroids?" I suggested._

_Eric made a face. "I leave at dawn via Anubis."_

_Anubis. The only vampire-friendly airline in the country. If Eric was flying, the situation with the Queen was more dire than he was letting on. Especially since he was leaving at dawn. Only a few hours away._

_With everything that was going on. Murders. Vampire stalkers. Plots and scheming that involved me in ways I didn't yet understand, it would be stupid of me not to take Eric's blood. Then again, if it was my time to die, and I intervened once again by using Eric's blood, what the hell would fate send my way next time? If there was a worse, I didn't really want to know what it was._

"_Okay," I said. Stupid, maybe, but I wasn't dying today. Or tomorrow, either, if I could help it. "I'll take your blood."_

**SPOV**

If my dream the night before was any indication of what was to happen in the next few days, and my decision to take Eric's blood saved me from whatever was about to come to a head, I knew I couldn't say no.

His blood made me stronger, faster. I healed quicker. There were other side-effects. Feeling his presence and Eric feeling mine, like some sort of internal security alarm. Sensing his emotions, unreadable as they so often were. Or like the whole attraction thing, but I was beginning to think that had more to do with something else entirely.

If opposites attract, Eric and I _should_ be drawn to one another. But we weren't so unlike, now that I'd gotten to know him a little better, and that made the... whatever I was feeling for him, all the more undeniable.

Not that I didn't think his blood had helped it along, pushed me to do things I wouldn't normally have pursued, but it wasn't so controlling I couldn't think or function around it. At least it didn't seem to be.

"What did you try to make me do?" At Eric's confused look, I clarified. "The other night while you were using your glamour? The first time you did it, you tried to get me to kiss you, I could feel that. But I couldn't feel a thing the second time around. What did you try to get me to do?"

Eric's smile was a little tight when he said, "I was hoping you'd never ask me that."

"Why not? You'll tell me, won't you?" Eric looked away, avoiding my stare. My questions. "Won't you?" I pressed, punching at his shoulder. "Tell me or I won't take your blood," I said childishly.

Eric chuckled. "My blood is a gift. If you do not wish to have it then it shall remain in my body."

"Come on, Eric," I begged. "I want to take your blood. I'll likely need it."

He grimaced. "I hope that you don't."

"That makes two of us," I said. I wished that was how it'd turn out, but I would rather be prepared for the worst. "Please, tell me."

Eric heaved an unnecessary sigh. It was dramatic and all for show. I tapped a finger in the dirt impatiently. Now I really needed to know. He'd built up the suspense about it and I was itching for the information. Before I'd simply been curious.

"I wanted to choke you," he finally said. His eyes stayed locked with mine and he grinned guiltily. "I tried to get you to do it for me."

"You tried to get me to choke myself?" I asked carefully. "Why the hell would I do that?"

Eric's smile toned down, just a little. "You didn't. Which was the point, right?"

"Okay," I said slowly. That was why I'd been curious before. "You're right. Why is it I could tell what you wanted me to do the first time, but not the second?" I was asking myself more than I was asking him, but it'd be nice to hear if he had any ideas.

He held up a finger. "I have a theory."

I sat up straighter. "Let's hear it."

He moved closer, sitting so that our knees were touching once more. He slouched enough that his face was level with mine. "You may not like it," he said, lips drawn tight. "I'd like to ask a few questions first."

"Alright." I could be amicable. I could. Especially since I had a theory of my own.

"Do you find me attractive?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You know I do."

"But you've had my blood," he added, smiling slightly. "You believe this alters you, correct?"

"Yes," I answered, leaving it at that.

"So," he continued, now staring intently, "Were you or were you not attracted to me _before_ you had my blood?"

I knew Eric was fishing for more than a simple compliment. I bit my lip. "I was." It wasn't as hard to admit as I'd thought it might be. In fact, I felt lighter for it.

Eric drew back, shocked I think. "Well, that was easier than I'd anticipated."

I snickered. "It'd be too obvious if I said no, Eric. You're an attractive man, anyone can see that. Doesn't mean I _liked_ you before I had your blood."

He raised an eyebrow. "And you like me now?"

"Well, I don't _hate_ you," I said, smiling. "But that has very little to do with your blood."

And a lot more to do with what I'd learned about him. Maybe having his blood had opened my mind a bit more, allowed me to notice things with a fresh mind, but it hadn't decided how I felt about him. That was for sure. I'm not even sure _I'd_ decided how I felt about him. At least not wholly. Only time would tell.

"Well," Eric said, clearly at a loss for how to proceed. I bit back a grin, thinking he looked insanely cute, flustered as he was. Clearly, I had a screw loose thinking a vampire was cute. "Let me ask you this: Would you have had sex with me if it weren't for my blood?"

That one had me frowning, I'll admit, because I wasn't sure I could answer that question honestly. Not that I physically couldn't, or didn't want to, I just didn't know the answer. "I'm not sure," I said after a pause. I wasn't the kind of girl that went around having sex with people all willy-nilly, evidenced by the fact that Eric had only been my second. "What's this have to do with you trying to make me choke myself anyhow?"

He leaned down a little closer. Close enough that I could feel the slight puffs of his breath on my lips as he spoke. "Can you at least admit to having been curious about it?"

"Curious about having sex with you?" I rasped. Eric nodded. It was a tough question. Even tougher was the answer. "I won't go as far as to say _that_," I half-whispered. "I was curious about _you_, though, I wanted to... to know you. To know who you are, who you really are. What made you the way you are. Where you came from." I frowned, not knowing if that helped or hindered. "That's more than I can say about a lot of folks."

Eric sighed and cupped my face in his hands. I think he was dreaming about choking me again, but I was just trying to be honest. "You are a frustrating woman," he said.

"Look," I began. How could I explain this better? "I don't think like that," I exhaled. "I don't just go around thinking about whether I'd like to have sex with someone or not. That's not the way it works for me. I could say honestly that I was attracted to you, and that I wanted to know more about you. Maybe, all on its own, that would have grown into a different kind of attraction," I said shrugging. "I think your blood kind of... gave it a nudge."

"I knew the moment I laid eyes on you," he admitted softly, "That I wanted to have sex with you."

"I'm aware of that," I chuckled. I wished, sometimes, I could be as decisive as that. Sometimes. Others, not so much. Some things were better left to figure out on your own, with time and knowledge and informed decisions. "What are you thinking?" I asked, trying to stay on subject. We'd derailed again, as it so often happened.

"I'm thinking about having sex with you," he said, with all honesty. "I'm thinking about your breasts."

Well, I'd asked, hadn't I? I leaned back, enough that his hands fell from my face, and I had room to cross my arms over my chest. It didn't help much since I didn't have a shirt on, but Eric got the idea and met my eyes again. He was grinning.

_Back to business_, I thought. "You're thinking that I couldn't tell what you were trying to get me to do because there was no part of me that _actually_ wanted to do that, am I right?" It was what I'd been thinking. Or at least it was my theory. I both wanted it to be true and didn't.

If it wasn't true, then I could blame my attraction to Eric on his blood. I could say I'd kissed him, had sex with him, because of his blood. I could blame the strange butterflies I got in my stomach at the sight of him on having drank his blood. If his blood was influencing my feelings for him, it would be easier to accept and deal with. The alternative was much harder to explain. Much more difficult to... contemplate. Understand. Process. I'd never liked a boy before. Had a crush, or anything like that. Much less on a vampire.

"Yes," he said evenly. "Had some part of you not wanted to kiss me, then you would have gotten nothing from me then, either. When I tried to get you to choke yourself, to coin your words, you're not suicidal, so you wouldn't do it."

My guess was that Eric's blood could only amplify things I might have been feeling on some level before. It didn't influence me so much as make me more aware of what lay inside myself. And obviously his glamour had a similar effect. What did that mean? And how did I feel about it? I wasn't sure.

"I agree," I whispered. I suddenly felt tired. If Eric was going to be giving me his blood, it needed to be soon. Otherwise I'd fall asleep. I'd worked a double, lost one of my best friends, tortured his vampire boyfriend, and ran a gamut of emotions since. I was done for the day.

I stood and extended a hand for him. "Well, come on. I'm not drinking vampire blood while sitting on top of my dead family."

Eric took my hand, even though he surely didn't need it, and stood. He didn't let go when he started walking. It felt bizarrely normal, walking through the cemetery while holding hands with a vampire. I guess for the state of mind I was in, it _was_ rather fitting.

We didn't talk, for which I was grateful. I was kind of tired of talking, to be honest. I felt like I'd talked more tonight, to Eric, than I had to anyone in my life. It was an exhausting relief. I let go of Eric's hand when we ascended the porch, but only because I needed to open the door.

I'd thought about just taking his blood right there on the porch, but I didn't want an audience for that. I listened outward, and there wasn't any sign that Bill was home. His house was close enough that I could _feel_ him out there if I focused hard enough, but I got nothing. He was out somewhere. I tried not to contemplate where so I wouldn't get sick.

In the yellow glow of the porch light, I was able to see myself more clearly. My hand started to shake as I reached for the knob. My whole body felt like it shook. A lump formed in my throat, and my eyes stung. It took both hands for me to finally open the door.

"Please, come in," I said to Eric, glad that my voice hadn't cracked. I was about to lose it. I knew that. He walked inside, saying nothing. I didn't look at him. "Just... have a seat. I need..." I took a breath, clenched my fists. "I need to wash m...my hands."

I turned away, not waiting for a response, and walked as fast as I could without running. I closed the bedroom door behind me, walked straight to the bathroom and cranked on the hot water in the faucet. When I shut that door, I didn't bother locking it. A rickety lock, especially one circa 1940-something wasn't going to keep Eric out if he really wanted to get in.

I grabbed the soap, shoved both of my hands under the scalding water and began to scrub.

"Come on," I croaked, practically clawing at my skin. There was blood, mud and pieces of grass all over me. Even once I'd cleared away the debris, I could still see the blood on my hands.

After another minute, I gave up and turned on the shower, stripped down and hopped in, not waiting for the temperature to adjust. The cold was shocking, but it warmed it quickly enough. I grabbed my loofah and tried again. I could feel the tears falling.

"Come on. Come on. Come on," I sobbed, scrubbing viciously. I could see scratches forming on the surface of my skin, but I didn't dare stop. It was everywhere.

Everywhere.

All over me.

Blood.

I grabbed the shampoo and started in on my hair with the same ferocity. Blood was all over me. I could feel it, soaking into my skin like a morbid moisturizer. In my cuticles, in the creases of my palms, on my arms and legs. I could almost taste it, slick, bitter and thick, on my tongue.

Distantly I heard a keening noise, realized a moment later it was me. Not that I could stop it. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe. I dropped the loofah and used my bare hands. My nails. "Please. Please. Please."

When I felt Eric step into the shower, I didn't stop to think. I simply turned to face him, helplessly holding my arms out in front of me. "I can't get it off. I can't." My hands were shaking something horrible. It felt like an earthquake in my bones. "It's under my nails," I cried. "It won't come off."

"Shh. Shh," he hushed me, taking both of my hands in his. "Let me see." He grabbed a wet rag from the side of the tub, the soap, and started to wipe at my hands. I continued to cry. "It's okay, Sookie. It's okay. It's yours. It's your blood. See?"

He stuck one of my fingers in his mouth, swirled his tongue around it, and pulled it back out. Clean. Clean as a whistle, while the rest of my fingers looked bloody and raw. "I'm losing it," I said aloud, shaking my head. "I'm falling apart."

Eric stepped close enough that I could see strands of his wet hair clinging to his face. Water splashed at my back like chilly daggers, my face, my scalp. I shivered. "Let me help," he said softly. "Let me help."

I nodded, not trusting my voice. It was easiest, considering I was still shaking. I tried to stop crying but couldn't. Eric reached around and turned the faucet. The warmer water had me jumping into his chest. My cheek bumped into his wet shoulder, and I suddenly couldn't move.

I collapsed against him; his arms wrapped around me to keep me from falling down. I wailed. I let it all go, right there in Eric's embrace, I broke in half.

I cried for my family. I cried for Lafayette. I cried for Phillip and the atrocities I'd committed against him. I cried out the hopelessness I felt at the situation I was in. All the murder victims, because of me and my stupid telepathy.

Tears fell, mingling with the water, because I was a selfish brat who wanted her life back, when three others were dead and it was my fault. I cried because something was broken inside me and I didn't know how to fix it. Didn't know if it _could_ be fixed.

Eric, for the most part, stayed silent. Occasionally, he would soothe the hair out of my face, or shush me gently. Mostly, he just held me and let me pour my heart out through my eyes. When I finally felt some semblance of control over myself, I pulled back and met his stare.

He looked frightened. He was also talking. "Please stop crying, Sookie. Please stop crying."

I let go of his arms and wiped at my eyes. "I think I'm done," I said, hiccoughing.

He stared, unblinking even though water was running over his eyes. "Are you certain?" Eric was looking at me as if a monster was about to burst out of my skin any moment, or at the slightest hint of danger.

I nodded. "Stop looking at me like that. Why are you looking at me like that?" I hiccoughed again, shivering. The water was cold.

He reached out and touched my shoulders gently, as if I were fragile. Or as if his touch might send me into a fit of tears again. "I do not like it when you cry," he said hoarsely. "It disturbs me greatly."

Him and me both. I chuckled and my teeth chattered. "Sometimes," I said roughly, "You just need to get it out."

It was true, too. I didn't feel back to my old self, but I did feel better. It was as if I'd held onto those tears since the beginning. Since the night I'd almost died because of Bill's vampire buddy, or maybe since I found Maudette in the woods. I wasn't sure when exactly, it had started building up, but I felt lighter having let it go. Like I could go on another day. I felt stronger. I could now handle whatever lay ahead of me.

Fuck Bill Compton. Fuck the Queen. And most certainly fuck all their damn scheming. I was Sookie Stackhouse, and I could face anything.

"Please don't do it again," Eric said carefully. "I do not know how to handle your tears."

I smiled a little and patted his chest. "Don't worry. You did just fine." Then I looked at my hand on his chest. His beautiful, naked chest, and saw everything that was below it. "Eric, why are you naked?"

"Because I am in the shower," he replied simply.

Well, it did make perfect sense. "You're not trying to take advantage, are you?" I asked anyway as I turned off the water.

"Would I do such a thing?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes." I shivered. "I'm freezing my ass off." I slid the door open and moved to step out.

"I assure you," Eric purred behind me, "You are not."

I swatted his hand away when he tried to grope said ass. "Stop that," I said, but I was smiling. I grabbed two towels and tossed one to him. "You're lucky your clothes aren't soaking wet, seeing as how you just left them in a pile on the floor."

Eric nudged them away with a damp foot as he started drying himself. "I was in a hurry."

"Uh-huh," I mumbled, reaching for my warmest housecoat.

I got such a strange feeling as I slipped it on, watching Eric finish drying off and then pull on his pants. It was definitely not how I'd planned my night to end. He and I showering together. Drying off and getting dressed at the same time. It was a bit surreal even. In a nice way.

I slipped my feet into my slippers and tied a knot in my belt, as I said, "Maybe I won't need your blood after all." I didn't bother with underwear, my housecoat was warming me up. Plus, I wasn't sure I was at that place where I wanted Eric knowing where I kept my unmentionables. "I'll probably be in jail and won't need it."

Eric didn't bother with the rest of his clothes, just scooped his shirt and boots up in one arm, then gestured to the door, which was wide open. "Why do you say that?" he asked as I walked through.

I sighed and made my way to the living room, curling my feet beneath me and leaving my slippers on the floor as I sat down. Eric sat beside me after tossing his clothes in the other chair, waiting. "Because, Lafayette was killed in my car."

"Why didn't you mention this before?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I didn't think about it, to be honest." Well, I had, but with everything else going on it seemed the least important. "The police aren't here yet," I continued, "But I know they will be. Maybe they'll wait until morning so I can get some sleep."

"If you were at work, your alibi should be sound," he said.

I snorted, far from funny as it was. "Yeah, well, Andy's had it out for me for years. He'll hold me for questioning, if nothing else, just because it happened in my car." That, at least, I knew. Andy wasn't reasonable when it came to me, and the fact that he had no leads on this case, last I'd heard, was going to make him desperate.

"Why your car, I wonder?" Eric said looking thoughtful.

Did it really even matter? I curled up tighter and said, "I don't know, but if I'm in jail, I doubt I'll be attacked by any vampires or vampire Queens."

Stunning me, Eric leaned close and pressed a kiss to my lips. Then he cupped my face and said, "There's my sweet Sookie."

I made an embarrassing noise – I'm not even sure how to describe it – and felt my face heat as I pushed him away. "You're a mess," I laughed nervously. To break the tension, I clapped my hands and rubbed my palms together. "Now, open me up a vein. Momma's hungry."

I wasn't really, but at least I was no longer nauseous. I hadn't eaten for hours, so I should've been hungry. I was, however, ready to get this over with. It didn't exactly rev up my appetite to think I was about to drink blood. On the other hand, I was curious to see how Eric would react. The only other times I'd had his blood was when I was near death and when we'd been having sex. Did it hurt him? Make him weaker? He _was_ a vampire. Did he get some sort of enjoyment out of it?

Eric chuckled and tilted his head to give me a curious look. "You surprise me constantly," he said with a smile.

I made a face. "In a good way or bad way?"

He grinned. "Both." When he reached forward and took my face in his hands again, I held absolutely still. "Just when I think I have you figured out, you go and say something, or do something, and then I wonder if I will ever discover what makes you work."

I averted my eyes, feeling insanely self-conscious. "Well, I'd hate to be predictable."

"I'm going to kiss you now," was all he said, bringing my eyes back to his.

Realizing he was serious, I just responded with an, "Okay."

Eric's finger stroked my lips and I held my breath. "Why do you do that?"

My entire face felt hot. "What?" I whispered.

"Turn so red?" he said while brushing my cheeks. I think it just made me redder. "I thought before it was because I'd surprised you with the kiss." He shook his head, his eyes sparkling and vibrant. I couldn't tear mine away. "But just now... you glow brighter than before."

He didn't want for a response, simply closed the distance between us and touched his mouth to mine. It was... timid, almost, and I don't think it was just me who felt that way. Eric tilted my head and brushed my lip with his tongue. I opened by stroking his tongue with mine.

The air felt charged, electric somehow. Our tongues met, our lips brushed, our breath mingled. Then, I couldn't breathe. I was lost in his kiss. I'd kissed him before, of course, but it had never been like this. Before, there had been passion, sure. Fire even.

Now, though? This was something else entirely. Now, it was a spark igniting. A slow building fire that with one sudden torrent of flame could bring an entire building crumbling down. It didn't take long until I was panting, gasping for breath and aching to be closer.

Eric made that decision for me when he pulled me onto his lap with a speed and strength I imagine only a vampire can manage. I squeaked in surprise, only to moan in pleasure as our bodies pressed together. My robe was an unwelcome barrier, as were his jeans.

I slid my knees to either side of his thighs and spoke his name. Eric groaned, hugging me closer. "Eric," I tried again. I didn't know if I had the strength to stop, but this wasn't what we needed to be doing. His fingers tugged at the sides of my robe. "Wait," I said before he could open it. "Wait. Stop."

He pulled away long enough to whisper, "I do not want to stop," before kissing his way down my neck. He nibbled at my collar bone and I arched toward him.

"Please," I whispered, running my fingers through his damp hair. I couldn't for the life of me pull him away, only drag him closer. "Stop for a minute. I can't think."

I felt him sigh against my neck, but he did stop. His arms still bound me close. "If you need to think, I'm not doing something properly."

"This isn't what we're supposed to be doing."

Eric's fingers trailed down the collar of my robe, opening it enough that a breath shivered its way out of me. "I must leave soon," he said softly. "I do not know how long I will be gone. I wish to have sex with you before I go." He met my eyes. "As many times as possible."

Had Eric, in his own backward way, just told me he would miss me? I think he had, and I wasn't even sure he realized that, which only made it harder for me to breathe. Made it hard to even think. There was no way I could turn him down now. "Eric," I breathed, touching his neck. His skin.

He smiled. "You may say my name like that anytime you wish."

His hand disappeared beneath my robe, his fingers caressing the underside of my breast. I tried to think of something aside from the intense pleasure I felt at that simple touch. "Should I..." My voice cracked. I swallowed and tried again. "Should I have your blood first?"

Eric's hand stilling in its caress was the only indication that I'd surprised him with my response. He'd expected me to say no. He smiled, continued to explore inside my robe. "By all means, my bloodthirsty temptress," he paused long enough to bite into his other wrist and put it to my mouth. "Drink away."

I licked at the blood that dripped, but the wound closed. "Oops," I chuckled, nervous.

He gave me a grin. "Don't lick it," he said before biting his wrist again. "Suck it. Hard."

I shivered at the tone of his voice, putting my lips over the wound before it could close. I sucked. Hard enough that I felt the edges of my teeth press against the tendons in his wrist. Eric hissed, the hand beneath my robe seizing suddenly against my ribs.

"Sorry. Sorry," I said as I pulled back.

Eric's eyes turned black. "Fuck, woman. Do not stop." He ripped my robe open, exposing me to his eyes, at the same time he bit into his wrist again. I gasped as he shoved it against my mouth. "Drink. Please," he added hoarsely.

Well, okay then. I latched on and took a single, hard pull. Eric groaned and his hips surged against mine. I made an appreciative noise of my own, moving against him in kind. My eyes stared raptly, taking in every detail as I drank.

The way his lips parted. The way his eyes lost focus, even as they seemed to stare intently at me. My breasts. My body, bared before him. I drank more, swallowing the sweet taste of him down my greedy throat.

"Sookie," he whispered roughly. His other hand was busy, somewhere between my breasts and my stomach, never quite going as low as where I wanted him to.

Feeling bold, and urged by his obvious pleasure, I moved my hand to the front of his jeans, popping the button and sliding the zipper down. I slid my hand inside.

I wrapped my hand around him, enjoying the way he pressed harder against my palm. "I will go," he groaned. "Stop. I will go."

I moaned in response, knowing immediately how much I'd enjoy that. Watching Eric come, no matter how much I wanted him right then, would be its own sort of ecstasy. I squeezed harder, drank deeper. Eric's eyes widened and he spoke gibberish, suddenly pulsing hard in my hand.

My eyes flicked from his face to where he lay in my palm. When I felt him spill, cool and erratic, against my arm, I watched, finally letting go of his wrist. _So fucking hot._ I could feel his blood working its way through me, energizing me, healing my torn skin.

"Sorry," I said sheepishly, pulling away. Eric's eyes were molten. His lips turned up in a lazy grin. When he gripped the back of my hair, trying to pull me into a kiss, I resisted. "I have blood on my teeth," I argued.

Eric growled, grabbing me up so fast my head spun, and flipped me over, pinning me beneath him on the couch. Then his lips pressed to mine, and his tongue forced its way between my lips. I made a small noise of protest, but quickly gave up fighting. I wanted him. In me. On me. All around me. I wanted him. I pulled him closer.

When he moved my legs, situating himself more comfortably between them, I moaned at the feeling of him hard and wanting pressing against me. I was wet, terribly so, aching, and as I felt him slide against that most intimate place, I moaned again.

Eric pulled back enough to look down on me. His hand moved from my neck, to my breasts, down to my stomach, and then back to my breasts. "Yours are the most beautiful I have ever seen."

Something in my mood shifted then. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was or why I was suddenly in a near panic. I put my hand on his chest. "And just how many women have you slept with?" I asked.

"Many," he said, still groping my breasts.

"It was rhetorical," I sighed, trying to push him off me. "I don't want to know." And I didn't; I really didn't want to even think about it.

"What is the matter?" he asked, his hand finally stilling on my stomach. It held me down, not letting me even attempt to move from beneath him.

I gestured helplessly between us. "I can't do this," I whispered. "I don't know how to do this." God, what the hell was wrong with me? I could go from hot to cold in ten seconds flat, and I didn't even understand why. It had little to do with my breasts, or the fact that it was highly unlikely that mine were the most beautiful Eric had ever seen, an more to do with... What, exactly?

Eric looked at me, confused. "Have sex?" Then he smiled. "I assure you, Sookie, you can do that just wonderfully."

"No. Not that. This." I shook my head, not knowing how to explain. "This whole... intimacy thing." As soon as I said it, I realized how perfectly the word fit. "I don't know how to do this."

Eric pulled back enough that he wasn't so much holding me down anymore as he was simply touching me. He didn't look angry, like I thought he might, instead he looked thoughtful. As if he were truly trying to understand.

"You didn't seem to have a problem the other night," he said carefully.

I shrugged, sort of. "That was different." And it was. It had been a really different kind of sex we'd had the other night than whatever this was. I wasn't sure how to make him understand that. I looked at him, willing him to comprehend with my eyes.

"I do not understand," he said finally.

"Can I tell you a story?" I asked slowly, mentally preparing myself for what I was about to do.

It was a story I'd told no one, ever, not even Tara or Lafayette, and I told them more than anyone. It was a story I was almost... ashamed of, though that wasn't the right word. I felt a little like I'd betrayed some piece of myself by losing my virginity the way I had, and so I'd kept that secret to myself. Until now.

Tara and Lafayette had made guesses, asked questions, begged me to tell them, but I wouldn't. All they'd known was that I'd been a virgin one day and then, suddenly, I wasn't. They made their own assumptions, and some of them were pretty close, but not fully right.

"Please," Eric pleaded, pulling me from my back and onto his lap. I scooted back a bit to sit on the couch beside him, remaining close enough so that our legs touched, but needing the distance for what I was about to say. "Tell me."

I stared at Eric's eyes, expectant, waiting. His expression, calm but intensely curious. Then I looked at my hands and willed myself to speak.

"About twenty-two months ago, my Gran and I went to Home Depot in Monroe. We needed a few things for repairs on the house. Had a couple leaky pipes, some switches that needed replaced, things like that. Gran had refused to even try to get disability as a supplemental income, so by the time we'd saved up enough, we had a whole list of things we needed to buy.

"We found everything except for shingles to cover up a hole in the shed, so after we made our purchase there, we were planning to stop by Lowe's to pick up a box. That way we could have extra for next time. We had to stop and get gas on the way."

I took a deep, shuddering breath, closed my eyes, and continued. "He caught us in the parking lot. The sun had just gotten low enough in the sky that it was getting dark, but it was still bright enough that I could see how the yellow-orange glow reflected off his revolver. The kid's eyes were wild, a dark enough blue they almost looked gray. His hair was nearly black.

"Gran didn't make a sound when he put the nuzzle against her temple. I couldn't catch my breath enough to muster so much as a scream. He tried..." I cleared my throat, stared at my palms. My nails. My hands shook. "He tried to force us in the car, but Gran wouldn't move. I... _couldn't_. He'd robbed the gas station, got a grand total of one hundred, forty-four bucks – I pulled that from his head – and needed a get-away ride."

I stood and paced away, tugging my robe tightly around me. Eric stayed quiet, knowing somehow that I wasn't done. I took a dozen deep breaths. The images were so fresh in my mind, it was like it'd all happened yesterday.

"He'd rode a bike – a bike! – to rob a gas station." I shook my head, tears warm and wet in my eyes. "He shoved at Gran. I could hear her panicking inside her mind. Hear it like an echo of my own thoughts, only she was scared for me. Scared to do something wrong and cause the kid to turn on me in some way."

I spun to face Eric. "She had a gun to her head, and she was worried about me. Me!" I turned away again, picked up a picture of Gran off the mantle and traced her perfect and aged face. "Several things happened at once then."

I felt Eric stand and approach, but he didn't touch me, for which I was grateful. I saw from the corner of my eye he was staring at the picture of Gran in my hands. I set it back on the mantle and faced him, met his eyes. I didn't know how to decipher the look he gave me. I stepped around him so that I could continue.

"Gran tripped over some trash someone had dropped out their door. It scared the kid and he pulled the trigger. I screamed. The gas station attendant ran out, hollering out he'd called the police. I could hear sirens in the distance.

"Gran fell to the ground. The kid ran off. I stared, in shock I think, before stumbling my way over to where Gran lay on the concrete. I covered the wound, both sides of it. The bullet entered on the left side of her skull, exited behind her right ear. I think, maybe, I thought I could put it all back in and she'd be fine."

I stopped pacing to steady myself on the back of the chair, squeezed my eyes tight. "The cashier, Billy, that's his name, dragged me away, kicking and screaming. Her blood was on my hands. Her hair. Pieces of her skull, maybe even her brain. It was instantaneous, the medic told me later. She hadn't suffered."

I took a breath and looked at Eric. He was listening. His face held many things, his eyes even more. I wasn't sure what to make of his expression, and I was still far from done. I walked around and took my seat on the couch. Eric remained by the fireplace, near my Gran's picture.

"Anyway," I began again. "It was a week later before I'd gotten things together enough to hold services for her. I'd never handled anything like that, and I didn't have anyone I could ask for help to... deal with things. Make arrangements and whatnot. Plus, I was having to work overtime at Merlotte's to cover a few things that had to be paid in advance.

"I was..." I held up my hands, let them fall to my knees. "I didn't know how to deal. I was overwhelmed, emotionally, physically, just everything. To ice my cake, the afternoon following the day I buried my Gran – closed casket, I might add – I was scheduled for a hearing in court.

"It wasn't for the actual trial, so I didn't have to fully testify, but..." I shrugged, trying to stay on track when I so easily wanted to get lost in grief again. "But, if I wanted Gran's murderer to stay in jail, and not be let out on bail, then I _had_ to be at that hearing."

Eric walked over and sat next to me silently. He reached out, took my hand and set it in his lap. I held tight, needing the strength of his fingers to ground me. I continued.

"I just wanted, for one second, to not think about it, you know? To not feel... anything, really. Anything else would have been better than being inside my own head. I took off after Gran's funeral. I didn't even change clothes, just gassed up the car and drove.

"I was in Mississippi before I realized it, and soon after I crossed the border, I found myself in a trashy old bar somewhere outside of Jackson, drinking vodka like it was water." I looked up at Eric, his eyes soft and waiting. "I think... I think I knew what I was doing. I didn't want him to know me. I didn't want there to be even a _chance_ I'd run across him again." Even then I'd been ashamed of my actions.

I sighed, composed myself. "I don't even remember his name, and I certainly know I didn't give him mine. I've never had a..." boyfriend didn't seem like the right word to use even if it was true, so I said, "Lover before. Never had anything like that. When a man walked up and hit on me that night, I told him to take me somewhere we could be alone.

"He was my first, and only, aside from you the other night, and I..." God, what the hell was I doing? Why was I telling this story? Determined to get through it, I pressed on. "All he could think about while he drove us to that seedy, run-down hotel where I lost my virginity was my head in his lap and my mouth on his... Well," I smiled slightly, "You get the idea."

"I'd almost mistook you for a virgin," Eric said softly. "The other night, I was... afraid, after the way you left, that you were."

"Really? No. No, I'm not."

"There was blood, Sookie. Not much, but there was some, I smelled it. Saw it."

"Blood?" I asked. Eric nodded. "From having sex?" He nodded again. "Well, I can assure you I did lose my virginity that night. Despite all the vodka I'd drank, I remember that much."

"Did you tell him – the man you were with – that you were... inexperienced?"

I shook my head and made a face. "Hell no," I said. "I made him use a condom, but he didn't last long anyhow." I shivered, lost in the memory. "His thoughts were different, not quite as loud," I added, "I think that's why I grabbed him up and didn't wait for someone else to come along. I could still read his mind, but it wasn't as strongly broadcast as the others."

"He did not hurt you, did he?"

"No. Well, not in the sense that you're asking. Come to think about it, he might've been a Were, like your boy Alcide. I got the same kind of signature, now that I'm remembering, that I get from him. Only I don't think he's a Werewolf. Maybe a Werepanther, if there is such a thing." I frowned. I didn't know the name of the man who'd taken my virginity, but I could remember what he'd thought about. I wasn't sure what that said about me.

Eric smiled, kissed the back of my hand. "Figured Alcide out, did you?"

No one had come right out and told me about Alcide, but we'd worked together enough that I'd figured out a few things. I didn't actively go digging in his mind, but I had read it on occasion, or heard the stray thought or two. Since I hadn't gotten a sure sign of any other animal aside from a wolf from Alcide, I'd reckoned he was a werewolf.

"I did," I said proudly. I'd mostly assumed, but it was good to know I'd been spot on. "I also know he works for you because he's paying off a debt for his father."

"That is true," Eric said, not bothering to hide it.

"Why Alcide? He doesn't owe you anything, why make him work for you?"

Eric gave me a blank look. "His father is pack leader. I do not make that decision. He commanded Alcide to work off his debts, who am I to argue?" He shrugged. "As long as it is paid, I could care less how it is done."

I considered and concluded it seemed awfully fair of Eric. Not so much Alcide's father, who was forcing his son to work off _his_ bills, but Eric's reasoning was fair. Thinking about that made me realize Eric liked Alcide. I wouldn't be surprised if, after the debt was paid, Eric offered him a job full-time. I didn't think Alcide would take it, not for a second, but Eric respected him enough to make the offer.

"Anyway," I said, my mind spinning again, "I had a point in telling you all this."

"What is that, my Sookie?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Point is, I don't know how to... do this. This, whatever it is. I don't know how to... have a relationship with a person. I don't know how to be intimate. I don't know what you want from me."

Eric leaned into my line of sight. His baby-blues locked with mine. "How about a kiss? We can learn, together, from there."

I watched his face, his eyes, waiting for any sign of displeasure. Anger. Watching for the slightest hint he'd force something from me I wasn't ready for. I saw nothing but a quiet hopefulness. A low-burning flame of desire that could be rekindled with one simple kiss, or snuffed out with one word.

"Okay," I said and closed the distance.

**A/N: EEP! Long chapter, but I hope you understand why I cut it off there. Don't worry, I plan to continue right where this left off in the next chapter. I'm anxious, as per usual, to read your thoughts on this chapter. I know some of you were disappointed to learn Sookie was not a virgin, but in many ways, she still is. Just in a non-traditional sort of way. **

**Thanks so much for reading, and to those of you who take the time to review, I'd like to thank you in advance. I do so very much enjoy reading your thoughts. Until next time...**

**KISSES!**


	19. American Outlaw

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Things have just been a little insane around here. Thanks for all the support and reviews and for being so patient while waiting for this update.**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter beta'd. And this is a pretty long one too. I can't thank her enough.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is boss not me.**

**Previously...**

_Eric smiled, kissed the back of my hand. "Figured Alcide out, did you?"_

_No one had come right out and told me about Alcide, but we'd worked together enough that I'd figured out a few things. I didn't actively go digging in his mind, but I had read it on occasion, or heard the stray thought or two. Since I hadn't gotten a sure sign of any other animal aside from a wolf from Alcide, I'd reckoned he was a werewolf._

"_I did," I said proudly. I'd mostly assumed, but it was good to know I'd been spot on. "I also know he works for you because he's paying off a debt for his father."_

"_That is true," Eric said, not bothering to hide it._

"_Why Alcide? He doesn't owe you anything, why make him work for you?"_

_Eric gave me a blank look. "His father is pack leader. I do not make that decision. He commanded Alcide to work off his debts, who am I to argue?" He shrugged. "As long as it is paid, I could care less how it is done."_

_I considered and concluded it seemed awfully fair of Eric. Not so much Alcide's father, who was forcing his son to work off his bills, but Eric's reasoning was fair. Thinking about that made me realize Eric liked Alcide. I wouldn't be surprised if, after the debt was paid, Eric offered him a job full-time. I didn't think Alcide would take it, not for a second, but Eric respected him enough to make the offer._

"_Anyway," I said, my mind spinning again, "I had a point in telling you all this."_

"_What is that, my Sookie?"_

_I narrowed my eyes at him. "Point is, I don't know how to... do this. This, whatever it is. I don't know how to... have a relationship with a person. I don't know how to be intimate. I don't know what you want from me."_

_Eric leaned into my line of sight. His baby-blues locked with mine. "How about a kiss? We can learn, together, from there."_

_I watched his face, his eyes, waiting for any sign of displeasure. Anger. Watching for the slightest hint he'd force something from me I wasn't ready for. I saw nothing but a quiet hopefulness. A low-burning flame of desire that could be rekindled with one simple kiss, or snuffed out with one word._

"_Okay," I said and closed the distance._

**SPOV**

Kissing Eric was an indescribable experience.

It was like falling and flying all at once. Like catching my breath, only to have him steal it with the next sweep of his tongue. It was like a rainstorm at night with flashes of lightening as your guide. That static feeling you get, somehow electric and exciting, when you're in the midst of a good book. The one that tingles your skin and gets in your bones.

Kissing Eric was like that and more. Like I said, indescribable.

Delicious.

He cupped my face, lifted my leg over his, and slid me back onto his lap. Before I'd shared a piece of my past with him, I think I would have pulled away again. Now, I just couldn't seem to get enough. I slid my robe open the rest of the way, enjoying the way his breath caught. I'd done that. Something about _me_ drove Eric to breathlessness. It was an exhilarating feeling. Inspiring. Definitely a confidence booster.

Maybe I didn't know what I was doing, and maybe I felt a little uncertain because of that, but seeing his reaction helped me from one kiss to the next.

Eric pulled away from my lips, kissed the sensitive skin below my ear. "You would make an exceptional vampire, my Sookie."

"What? Why do you say that?" I asked, breathless for more than one reason. Where had that come from?

He answered my thought without being prompted. "I was just thinking." He moved, licked my throat, then flicked his eyes up to mine. "You have the right temperament. The right zest for life."

I chuckled. "By zest do you mean death wish?"

He smiled and ran his hands up my thighs, sliding them around to cup my backside. My fevered skin erupted in gooseflesh. "You fight to live," he said. "You find joy, even through all you've suffered."

I snorted, not believing that for a second. I was depressed more than I was happy, especially as of late.

He continued. "You're strong-willed, not easily swayed." _That_, I believed. "Ruthless when it comes to those you care about. Fair even when you care not."

A lump started forming in my throat, but I laughed off his words so I wouldn't cry. I'd done enough of that tonight to last a lifetime. "I don't think I could be a vampire."

He hummed, kissing my neck once more. "Could? Or would want to?"

I pressed closer, my breasts against his chest. "Could. Want to. I don't know." Centuries of undeath. As much as I wanted to live now, how would I feel about life after a hundred years? Two? I would never die, and that was something I did not know how to comprehend. "I look awful without a tan," I teased.

I felt him smile against my neck. He moved to nibble at my chin, bite my lower lip. "Give up the sun," he whispered, "Trade it for the moon and the stars."

I licked at his lips, captured them in a kiss. "Why can't I have them all?"

Eric used my hips as leverage to pull me closer. I gasped. "Greedy," he said, grinning. "Like a vampire."

Instead of responding with words, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and put my tongue in his cool mouth. I was done talking. I leaned back enough to break our kiss, met his stare unblinkingly.

I crawled off his lap. "Let's go to the bedroom." I slid one shoulder out of my robe, then the other, let the fabric fall to the floor. I held out my hand for him. It was steady. "Coming?"

Eric's groan was nearly a growl as he stood and lifted me in his arms. I slid my arms around him, kissed his neck, the tiny dip at the base, then made my way back to his lips. I had the satisfaction of feeling his appreciative groan vibrate against my chest. I hoped he didn't need to see where he was going. I kept his mouth very busy.

When we made it to my room, he laid me down on the bed, and I slid back to allow him space. My full-size bed wasn't large, by any means, especially when you considered I was about to be sharing it with a man over six feet. I tossed one of the pillows to the floor and settled myself on the other.

Eric stood back, his jeans still unfastened though he was perfectly, annoyingly, covered, and stared down at me. I felt everything in me tighten, quicken. My pulse, my breath, my nipples. My skin felt warm in anticipation.

"Eric," I said, feeling scrutinized, exposed and on display.

His eyes swept me from the tips of my toes, painted purple and badly in need of a fresh coat, to my eyes, hungry, nervous and waiting, and he didn't miss a single thing in between the two. I felt like he had me memorized, that his stare would drive me mad before he finally, slowly, crawled to lean over me.

I sighed, feeling his skin slide against mine. Such a contrast. Mine: soft and warm, almost to the point of fever. His: unyielding and cool. Not a drop of sweat. I placed my hand on his chest; no pulse raced. Mine was like thunder, a racing gallop.

He moved back, sniffed from my belly button to my clavicle, stopping to inhale deeply behind my ear. A noise sounded in the back of his throat, followed by, "Sookie."

Then he rolled to my side, lazily almost, like we had all the time in the world. Like there weren't meetings with vampire queens, plots to possibly kidnap me or worse. Like there wasn't a deadline hanging over our heads reading IMPENDING DOOM in bold print.

His eyes took me in like a caress. Mine did the same. I got the sense that Eric took pleasure from the small things in life. And now, if only for the moment, _I_ was that small pleasure. Only our legs still touched.

"Eric," I whispered, feeling my panic begin to seep back in. This time it was because of something else entirely. It was so quiet with only the sound of my own breath to listen to.

Since before I knew what I was hearing, I'd been privy to people's thoughts. Most of the time, while with Eric, or any other vampire for that matter, I thought their silence was a sort of bliss. Like a tiny vacation for my brain, but in this instance I was anxious. I needed to know, to hear, what he was thinking. Truth or not, I needed to listen to something.

Eric put his hand on my stomach, moved it up to my breast. My body responded, ready and willing, even though my head was spinning with doubt. "Talk to me," I begged. "What are you thinking?" I reached up, touched his face, trying to get a read. Nothing. "Tell me what you're thinking."

He paused in his caress, letting his fingers trail lower. Low enough to tease the curls below and have me holding my breath. "Once..." he smiled softly at me, seeming to know what the problem was. "I thought if I had you once, that would be enough. I could get you out of my system."

"What?" I asked, not fully understanding, or maybe it was fear. Fear that I _did_ know what he was saying, and I dreaded how I'd react to it.

He slid over me, fitting perfectly between my thighs. I moved my hands to his shoulders, held him there. Our eyes met and he continued. "I was wrong." His hand traced my side, the curve of my hip, tickled down to my thigh. "Now I fear I'll never get my fill of you."

My throat constricted. My cheeks burned. "Don't say things like that," I whispered. _Don't say things to make me fall for you. _"Don't get sappy on me. Not right now."

"It is truth," he said simply, leaning down to capture my lips.

I sat up to meet his kiss with one of my own, all my fears forgotten. It was what I'd needed to hear. Wanted to hear, as twisted as it may seem. Hear from his lips, hopefully from his heart, that I had him as enthralled as he seemed to have me.

I held tightly to him, our tongues in a tangle, and buried my fingers in his hair. There were knots where his hair had started drying without being brushed. I used them to pull him closer, moaning into his mouth.

I feared the one-way street when it came to Eric. That I'd give a piece of myself to him, that I'd grow to count on him, trust him, need him, and he wouldn't feel the same, or that he'd tire of me and move on.

Other fears, deeper, more alarming fears, whispered that I'd lose him too, like everyone else I'd ever cared about, just when I'd come to rely on him being a constant part of my life. I kissed him, despite those fears, because of them maybe. Maybe because a part of me had realized it was already too late for that.

Eric's hand moved to cup my ass. I felt the hardness of him, hardly restrained by his jeans, slide against me. I groaned, aching. Eric repeated the motion.

If we parted now, if I let him walk away now, without another kiss, another token of my body combined with his in such intimate fashion, he'd still take a piece of me with him. It was too late for him to mean nothing to me.

I'd read a book once that said something along the lines of where a woman's body goes, a piece of her heart is sure to follow. In the case with Eric, I knew it to be truth. Except... Except with Eric, I wasn't sure it'd had anything to do with our previous sex at all. There had been nothing loving about that.

Maybe the part spoken of a woman's body was symbolic of something else. In my case, at least, I think it was. For me, it'd been confiding in him, asking his opinion, advice. Seeking out his audience before others. Trusting him to give me facts, cold and hard. For me, I'd given Eric my body before he'd ever seen an inch of my skin.

I moved my hands lower, wrapping my feet around Eric's hips to help leverage his pants down. "Oh," I gasped, feeling the hard length of him finally release. The weight of him fell in just the right position and he nudged at my opening. I shivered. "Eric."

He released my mouth and pulled back to strip his pants off his ankles. I was too short to reach. I held my arms open for him, ready. More than ready. He smiled, devilish and beautiful, slid lower. "Now _I_ will taste _you_," he purred.

It took me only a second to realize what he was about to do. "Wait," I called, horrified. "Eric...OH, God. Holy sh..." I trailed off in a moan as his head buried itself between my thighs and his tongue slid between my folds.

Such a sensation. I'd been about to tell him to stop, but feeling him there, the cool, wet press of his tongue against my most intimate of places, it was too incredible to resist. Never had anyone done that to me. Never. I opened my legs wider, my knees falling to the side.

Eric made an appreciative noise, taking full advantage. I felt his tongue press inside. It flicked a spot and I screamed. I reached for his hair, tugging, holding. I don't know exactly what I was doing, but my fingers tangled in his hair seemed like the perfect place to be. My lips lifted against his mouth, choosing a rhythm of their own.

When Eric's tongue slid higher and his fingers slid deep inside me, I moaned his name. His other hand slid its way up to my breast and pinched at my nipple. With everything he was doing below, it was almost too much to bear and suddenly I was there. I may have said words, but it sounded like incoherent babble.

His smile was satisfied as he moved above me again. Mine was satisfied as well, goofy maybe. "That was... Wow," I said, feeling stupid. One orgasm and I'd turned into an idiot. It was exactly what I'd needed to get myself out of my head.

Eric licked his lips. "Wow, indeed." When he leaned down to kiss me, I could taste myself on his lips. I wondered, briefly, if I should have been grossed out by that, but then I felt something else. "Now I intend to really wow you," he said, the tip of him pressing against me.

He reached down and gripped himself firmly, sliding up and down my slit. "Eric," I called. "Please." I didn't have to ask twice.

Eric slid in slowly, excruciatingly so. I held my breath in rapture, feeling every inch of him as it stretched and filled me. I clung to his back, my nails digging into his skin as I met his thrust. "So sweet, my Sookie. So sweet." His voice was strained.

"Oh, God," I cried as he began to move. The muscles beneath my hands felt taut, like it was taking every ounce of his control not to piston into me like some rabid monster. Part of me wanted him to do that. The other part relished and savored each of his slow plunges.

His fangs were down, and it was the first I'd noticed of them. Had they been out while he'd been busy down below? It seemed like I should have felt them if they were. I removed one of my hands from his back to trail a finger to the sharp tip of one fang. Was he hungry?

Eric groaned, briefly lost his rhythm. "Temptress," he teased. He moved his hand to my breast, massaging it thoroughly and toying with my nipples enough that they became painfully hard.

When I saw him eye my neck, knowing my heart was racing, I had to ask. "Are you hungry?"

His eyes widened, found my pulse and stayed. "Not especially."

I smiled. "Liar."

He finally met my eyes, stilling long enough that I squirmed beneath him. _God, please don't stop._ He moved, even more slowly, and smiled, fangs flashing, down at me. "My hunger for you is constant."

"Eric," I moaned.

He thrust harder. The bed squeaked, hit the wall. "Unquenchable," he growled.

My eyes rolled. "Yes."

"Drives me mad." His strokes were harder now, more intense. I held tight. "Fuck. Sookie. Fuck."

I grabbed his hair, pulled him down to my lips. I felt his fangs slice at my tongue, but I didn't care. "Don't stop. Don't stop." I tasted my blood.

I knew Eric had too because he snarled, and I felt him swell within me. "Never enough. Fuck. Never get enough," he groaned, hardly leaving my mouth.

From one second to the next, I was crying out, my orgasm ripping through me without warning. It was as much a shock to Eric as it was to me. He cursed, said something else I couldn't understand, and kept at his punishing pace.

As I came down, he slowed. I was so sensitive. Everything from the ends of my hair to the tips of my fingers felt awakened, thrumming with energy. Eric's blood had done that to me, but it wasn't just that. The sex with him, the feelings he awakened in me, it was all so... devastating. And not in a bad way.

He pulled away from my lips to kiss at my nipples. I arched against his mouth, slid my hands down his back. His thrusts were lazy now, almost to the point where I could feel each ripple that undulated inside me. My skin, slick with sweat, slid against his.

"What are we doing?" I whispered.

Eric freed my breast of his mouth, but continued his tease with his hand. The other gripped my hip. "We are having sex," he answered.

"No, I mean," I shook my head, "What is this?" I made a gesture between us, and left my palm resting over where his heart would beat. "What are we?"

He slid completely out. "You are mine," he said. Then slammed back in with one swift push.

"Oh, fuck." What had I been asking? _Oh, right._ I stilled him with my hand, struggled to regain some composure, and caught his look. _God_, but his eyes. I could drown in them. "That's a two-way street, Eric."

He froze, and I reached down to grab his ass, staying him there. "Meaning?"

"Meaning," I said slowly, making sure I had his full attention. I was distracted by the way I could feel each time he swelled within me. I nearly groaned, tightening around him. His eyes shuttered briefly. "Meaning," I tried again, "I won't share you."

Eric snarled, baring his fangs. "Neither will I." He pulled out again, all the way, made a small circle with his hips, then slid deep. "I'll have all or none of you."

"Fuck," I cried out, gripping his hips. I saw stars.

"Look at me, my Sookie. Look at me." He made the same agonizingly erotic motion and I stared through a haze in my eyes. His features were drawn as tight as I thought mine probably were. "All or none," he repeated.

"Yes," I said, trailing off in a moan. "I want the same. Promise me the same. Just please, for fuck's sake, don't stop."

"Your wish," he said, withdrawing, "My command."

Then he was so deep, my back arched off the bed. My hips met his, and only moments later I was screaming in release. "Bite me. Do it now," I said. _Before I change my mind._

Eric growled and struck like a snake, his fangs piercing my right nipple with painful precision. One draw had me calling out again, my orgasm intensifying. When I felt him pulse inside, snarling unintelligibly around my breast, I knew he'd lost it too.

His mouth released me suddenly, his head falling back on a groan. I watched drops of my blood fall from his teeth to his lips as he came, stricken by the thought that this was the most erotic sight I'd ever witnessed.

This time, as he rolled to the side, when he pulled me against him, I stayed. "That was..." I trailed off.

"Perfect," he finished. "It was perfect."

I couldn't disagree. I curled closer, pressing my back firmly against his front, and felt him still hard, nestled comfortably in the crook of my ass. I pushed back, only slightly. "Do you ever get tired?" I asked, closing my eyes. I was exhausted. Spent. Totally and utterly.

"Of you?" Eric muttered. The smile was in his voice. But when he said, "Never," against the blade of my shoulder, I could feel it on my skin.

I might have snickered, but I was out like a light. Wasn't it typically the man that fell asleep directly after sex? I figured it didn't really matter and slept anyway.

I awoke again sometime later to Eric flipping me over and fitting himself between my thighs. "I must leave in five minutes."

"Okay," I said sleepily. "Oh. Oh." I moaned as his fingers worked their way inside me, biting hard on my lip when they were replaced by the swollen tip of him pushing hard and deep. Eric made the very best of those five minutes, let me tell you.

When he was dressed and ready to leave, I walked him to the door, pausing only long enough to slip on my housecoat. "When will you be back?" I asked, feeling strangely pathetic and needy.

He leaned down to press a kiss on the tip of my nose, and I grinned like an idiot. "As soon as I am able," he promised.

I blinked, watching him walk out my door. Then blinked again. Sam's truck was gone. "Eric, where's your car?"

"Don't need one," he said, grinning.

"How will you get there in time?"

Eric moved close and captured my mouth in a toe-curling kiss. My knees wobbled. "Don't miss me too much," he whispered against my lips. Then he shot up in the air like a bolt. He could fly! Fly!

Well, I thought, stumbling my way back into the house and crawling in bed again, Eric certainly knew how to make an exit.

The next time I awakened, it wasn't nearly as pleasant an experience. I heard sirens. I shot out of bed, completely naked, knowing exactly what they meant. It was still dark, but after peeking out the window, I saw the pink of the sun just over the horizon.

I blinked at the clock, just after five, and grabbed my robe. The cruisers, two of them, each carrying two officers, were in the driveway now. I tied my robe tight, squared my shoulders, and went to the door.

"Hands where we can see them, Ms. Stackhouse," Andy warned as I opened the door.

I rolled my eyes, sticking my empty hands out first and nudging the door open with my hip. I'd expected it, but that didn't mean I had to like what was about to happen. And it _was_ about to happen. I could read their minds.

Kenya was the only one who didn't agree with Andy. She didn't think I was innocent either, so we weren't going to be pals or anything of the sort, but at least she thought arresting me was wrong.

"Good morning," I called out, hands in the air. "Should've rang first to tell me you were coming. I would've made breakfast."

Andy waved the others back, hand on his gun holster as he stepped forward. "Ain't the time to be joking," he chided, boots thudding hard on my porch steps. "You know why we're here."

"Can I put my hands down?" I asked, nodding at my robe. "As you can see, I'm not hiding any weapons."

Andy tensed slightly as he gave a terse nod. I dropped my hands. "You're under arrest, Ms. Stackhouse."

"What for?"

"You're wanted for questioning in regards to the murder of Lafayette Reynolds." Andy stepped closer. "Hands behind your back, now. It'll be better for you if you cooperate."

I sighed. "Better than what?" I asked smartly, not moving. "Can I get dressed first?"

"Um," Andy stumbled, realizing then that I was clad in only a robe. "I'll allow it." Then he waved a hand to beckon Kenya forward. "You understand, of course," was all he said.

I spoke through my teeth. "Of course." Then I turned and walked back into the house, Kenya hot on my heels. Looked like I had my very own police escort.

Andy and the rest of his crew stayed outside. Kenya followed me, standing guard at the entrance to my bedroom. "Stay where I can see you," she said.

When I went to the bathroom to pee, she followed me. I'm not really the modest sort, but it was damn uncomfortable, and it took me a second to get things working right. "Sorry I don't have any coffee," I said, just to break the silence.

Kenya looked the other way, giving me at least the illusion of privacy. It helped. A little. "It's fine, Sookie."

"Wish I could have some," I muttered, wiping and then going to wash my hands. "Figure I might need it."

She didn't say anything, but I could tell she was amused from her thoughts.

She didn't think me innocent, nor did she think me guilty. She did, however, think I was tricked somehow, maybe even glamoured. I reasoned, given the little I had to work with, that could be used in my favor. Maybe my session with Eric wasn't for nothing after all.

I didn't take my time getting ready, but I didn't exactly hurry the process along either. I took a moment to brush my teeth and my hair, which was knotted up almost painfully. I slipped into my underthings, grabbed a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt that claimed, "I'm Reading," on the front and, "Your Mind," on the back. Lafayette had gotten it for me as I joke, and I teared up a little as I slipped it over my head.

I'd only worn it once before.

After stepping into a pair of sneakers, I called out, "I'm ready."

Kenya escorted me to Andy, who read me my Miranda Rights and shoved me in his cruiser. The _back_ of his cruiser. It was the second time I'd been forced to ride in a police car, and I hoped it would be the last. At least there was one thing I could mark off my bucket list, I thought, snorting.

Andy was less than amused. "Something funny?"

"Not especially," I replied. "I was just hoping you've got some do-nuts or something at the station." Now he was downright angry. "Or, do you think we could swing through the drive-thru, grab me a McMuffin or something?"

Andy grumbled about me having a smart mouth, and I can tell you, his thoughts weren't near as kind. I stayed silent for the remainder of the trip.

When they took me inside the station by the elbow, I figured it was a good sign that they hadn't used hand cuffs. That is until they took my mug shot. I tried not to smile at the camera, but it was really hard. It wouldn't have been a happy smile either.

At least they didn't take my fingerprints, but they had the last time, hadn't they? I was a regular criminal now. Officially on the books. After they'd finished processing me, or whatever the hell it was they called it, Andy led me to a cell in the back. There were only three others, and they were all empty.

I thought about arguing that they couldn't do this to me. I had to have some sort of rights, didn't I? But Andy was already anticipating that kind of argument for me, so I was able to glean from his thoughts that they could, indeed, do this to me. Hell, they could hold me in lock-up for up to forty-eight hours just for questioning, and another thirty-six hours on top of that simply for fleeing the scene of a crime.

"I'll be back for you in a little while," he informed me as he slammed my cage shut, turning a key in the lock to secure it.

"I'll try to pencil you in," I bit out, fingers clenching into fists. Poor bed in the corner didn't look like it could handle any of my punches, but I'd need to rage soon. It was going to be a long ass day.

Andy snorted and walked off without another word. I stepped back and paced.

Not having a watch or a clock made it hard to tell how much time passed. I just knew it'd been hours. It felt like days. People came and went. Well, officers. Not many other people came in.

The most exciting thing to happen was when Jane Bodehouse came in, claiming someone had stolen her car. It took Andy approximately forty-five minutes, by my reckoning, to convince her she didn't have a car. Well, she did, but her son had taken it away a few months back so she wouldn't drive drunk. She'd already gotten her third DUI, and her next would most assuredly land her in jail.

It would've been nice to have some company.

No one came back to the cells unless they had to. Andy'd told them to avoid me at all costs. I comforted myself with the fact that if I was in jail then there'd be no vampire bullshit I had to deal with. Then again, I thought, they could very well glamour their way into the police station, and here I'd be, all tied up, nice and pretty, ready for the taking.

When my stomach started growling ferociously, I called out. "Can a girl get something to eat around here?" No one answered, but I could tell from the two brains left at the station, they were debating calling Andy. "I haven't eaten since yesterday. Please, I'm starving." I paused, long enough for them to think. "I promise to shut up if you do. Just give me a sandwich." Something. God, I was about to gnaw at my own arm.

Ten minutes later, Kevin slid a latch open in the bars and handed me a turkey sandwich with cheese and mustard and a bag of Fritos. I tore into it like a rabid dog, mumbling, "Thank you," around a mouth full. He nodded and disappeared.

The food was gone before I was ready, but it'd slaked my hunger. I took a nap. I woke up when someone passed. When I read Kenya's mind I realized she wasn't coming for me. They were intentionally keeping me in the back, and it didn't look like I'd be getting out anytime soon.

Andy wasn't going to question me until after dark. I'd snagged something about vampires and rescue from Kenya's brain, but she hadn't thought of it long enough for me to get the whole picture. I sighed and slumped back down on the lumpy cot.

Then I got bored. When I finally breached bored out-of-my-mind and went into something even beyond that, I started singing. Which, of course, amused the whole of the Bon Temps Police Department. I sang slightly better than Billy Corgan from _Smashing Pumpkins_. They were laughing at my expense, but I couldn't care less.

When my throat got dry, I stopped singing and drank a gallon of water out of the tiny sink faucet. I hoped it was clean. Then again, I'd had Eric's blood, so hopefully that would stay off any germs or deadly bacteria I'd just swallowed.

Which reminded me of Eric, naturally, and that I'd had his blood. How strong would it make me? I couldn't help but be curious. Could I break the bars down if I tried hard enough? I walked over, looking to either side of the walk-way, despite being able to hear no one was close by.

I gripped the bars and pulled as if to slide the door open. I strained, closing my eyes. When I heard the hinges creak in protest I let go, muttering, "Oh, shit." Then I skedaddled back to the cot, quickly sitting down and whistling innocently.

_Holy shit_, I thought, eyes wide, I'd almost ripped the cell door off its hinges! Eric's blood was like some sort of Superman juice. I looked at my hand, flexed my fingers, and could feel it as it thumped in my veins.

If his blood could give _me_ that kind of strength, from just a little taste, then how the hell strong was Eric? I was almost afraid to know. I hoped he'd made it safely to New Orleans. I cringed when I thought about him possibly being punished.

He hadn't said anything of the sort the night before, but given that Pam had been tortured, at least on some level, simply for being the messenger, I had to think the vampire Queen would possibly do worse to Eric. It was almost an unbearable thought, but it was likely truth.

I got up and paced like a caged animal. I didn't like being here. I was ready to go. More than ready. It pissed me off to think I was sitting in here, innocently I might add, while whoever was the real killer lurked out there, possibly planning his or her next target. _If_ that target wasn't me. There were things I could be doing.

More people came and went. I guessed it was around six or so when everyone seemed to trickle out, save Andy and the dispatch working the late shift. New kid named Stuart. I didn't know him very well, but he seemed nice enough. He was an ace with a gun, that I'd got from his brain.

When Andy finally, leisurely, strolled up to my jail cell, I had my answer as to why they'd been waiting until dark to question me. It was nearing ten PM, though I hadn't a clue, and frustratingly, to Andy at least, no one had showed up to rescue me.

I snorted as I snatched his thoughts. They'd assumed I'd been used as a vampire pawn, of course, but they'd also reasoned that any vampire worth his salt would want his flunky back. They had expected a big vampire to come along and demand I be released.

I hated to disappoint, but even if I _had_ been a vampire flunky, I doubted very much that vampire would be interested in having me back. They'd happily allow me to take the fall, especially in this case. That's what was intended, after all, I thought.

Andy struggled to get his key into the lock, and I looked around in utter innocence. _Sheesh_, I'd really almost screwed myself there, huh? The latch finally turned, Andy making grunting noises the entire time, and I was once again a free woman.

"This way," he said, leading me back to the interrogation room.

Well, _almost_ free, I amended.

Mostly, Andy asked standard questions. General questions. Where was I at, at the time of the murder? In the dining room of Merlotte's. Who was I with? Sam and Tara. Arlene and Terry had been in the back. Is there anyone who can validate that? Yes. After that they got a little trickier.

"Where'd you run off to, Ms. Stackhouse?"

Not impossible to answer, but I still needed to be vague. "I tried to see if I could catch whoever it was."

He didn't think I'd feel obliged to do such a thing, much less be physically able. "It's a vampire. You run faster than a vampire?"

"No. I don't." Which is why I hadn't caught him. Or her. Pretty sure it was a him though.

"Why do you think he was killed in _your_ car?"

That was an easy one. "I think someone's trying to set me up."

Andy hummed. "Don't reckon that vampire boss of yours knows anything about this?"

"Eric?" At his nod, I asked, "Why would he?"

He leaned back in his uncomfortable metal chair, crossing his arms. I knew it was uncomfortable because I was sitting on its twin and my ass was numb.

"We've found evidence that one Mr. Eric Northman was involved with two out of the three victims."

He'd said it for shock value, but I already knew that. I shrugged. "I'm not his keeper."

"Cooperating could save you from prison, Ms. Stackhouse." Andy frowned. "You don't want to go to prison, do you now?"

I narrowed my eyes at him and crossed my arms too. "Of course not."

"Then tell me what you know."

No way in hell was I doing that. If I did, surely I'd wind up with more folks' blood on my hands, and that wasn't something I could live with. "I know Lafayette was killed in my car. I know Dawn was killed in her house. Maudette was killed in the woods. I know I found all three of them, and I know that means someone is trying to set me up. That's all."

_Liar_, his thoughts screamed at me. "I find it curious that your boss couldn't be found, not even a few short hours after the murder last night," Andy said with a hint of a threat in his voice. "I find it even more suspicious that Eric Northman is so conveniently out of town, when he's been summoned for questioning."

So, it wasn't just _me_ now that they were trying to set up. Eric had found himself in their sights too. I'm not exactly sure why, but that only seemed to piss me off more. I wanted to take my ass outside, climb to the roof of the tallest building, and scream for them to come at me already. I was tired, so very tired, of all the bullshit.

"Look," I said, leaning closer, "I don't know what you want from me. I don't know anything. You know I was at work last night. Sam told you that himself. It wasn't me that killed Lafayette, or any of the others for that matter. But I can tell you one thing: you're wasting time, yours and mine, by keeping on this trail of yours. Give it up, Andy."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. God, no." I sighed, laid my face in my palms. "I don't want anyone else getting killed on account of me. I wish I could tell you what the hell is going on. Hell, I wish I knew. All's I can say is, it all leads back to me in one way or another, and I..." I paused, met Andy's unblinking stare. "I just think it's dangerous for anyone who gets too close to me."

And that was the truth of it. As much as I was willing to give at least. I could tell from Andy's thoughts there was no way to get him off this case. He was like a bloodhound onto a scent, and he wouldn't let it go until he'd caught his rabbit. Even if that rabbit had deadly fangs. I'd done just about all I could to dissuade him.

Only thing left was to use myself as bait, hopefully take the target off of everyone else's head and put it back on mine. I didn't like it, but at least I wouldn't have more death on my hands. Now, I just had to figure out how to do that.

I thought about killing Bill, just to see if all the subterfuge would come to an end. Maybe I could sneak into his house sometime during the day tomorrow? Find out where he slept? Do him in then, while he was helpless? Did I have it in me to do something like that? I didn't _know_ if it was Bill, even if my gut was telling me he was involved, I had no proof. Could I kill someone who was _possibly_ innocent?

Andy sighed. He looked tired, strung out, and I felt bad for that, but there wasn't a thing in the world I could do to help him from where I sat. If I could get to the bottom of things myself, put a stop to them, then his hell would end and he could move on with his life.

Then he stood and moved to the door, opened it for me. "You know not to leave town," he warned.

"Yes, sir," I said, standing and trying not to seem to excited by the prospect of leaving.

"You also know I expect to be questioning Mr. Northman very soon."

When he came back, I thought, remembering where he was, and that his night was probably a helluva lot worse than mine. "If you try to warn him – "

"I won't." Not that it mattered much anyway, even if I did. Which I would, if, and only if, I couldn't settle this myself.

"I still think you're working for them in some way."

I sighed. "I'm not." Well, not the way he thought.

He ignored me. "Should tell you something about the people you're working for that they just left you here to rot. They don't care a thing about you, Ms. Stackhouse. Why should you protect them?"

"I'm not protecting anyone." I didn't rise up to his taunt. It was what he wanted me to do.

"Start counting on them bloodsuckers, and you'll wind up like the others."

It wasn't a threat, simply what Andy saw as truth. "I can take care of myself."

Andy gave a stiff nod and let me pass. "You're free to go."

"Don't suppose I could get a ride?"

He did, at least, let me use the phone. I called Sam.

Fifteen minutes later we were riding in his truck, heading back to my house. I felt strangely wired, pent up all day like I'd been, but also very tired.

"Sorry I bailed on you last night," I told him.

"It's alright, Sookie. Just wish you'd not gone off on your own like you did."

"Yeah, well, fat lot of good it did." No way in hell was I telling him what I'd done. "You weren't tied up too long at the restaurant, were you?"

He rubbed at his face. "They wrapped up just before four this morning."

"Jeez," I said, feeling awful. "I'm sorry."

Sam craned his neck to look at me while still watching the road. "Andy let me head out a little after two."

"Is that when you picked up your truck? I didn't even hear you."

"You wouldn't have," Sam muttered. "You sounded busy."

"Sam," I warned. There was no telling what he'd heard, but from his thoughts, he hadn't arrived to retrieve his truck during one of my crying fits.

He held up a hand. "Not to be in your business or nothing, cher, but you really think that's a good idea?"

"I don't know," I admitted. I didn't know if it was a good idea. I was a mind reader, not a fortune teller. I did, however, know that it wasn't any of Sam's business. Aside from that, even if it was a mistake, it was my decision to make. "He's not like anyone else I've ever met," I said.

"He wouldn't be, would he?" Sam snorted. "He's a vampire, Sookie. A vampire."

"I know that."

He pulled into my driveway and shoved the gear into park. "Be smart. He's dangerous."

"Yeah, well," I opened the door, my mind instantly replaying my torture session the previous night in slow motion. "So am I. Thanks for the ride."

"Sookie, wait."

I got out and slammed the door, walking steadily toward my house. Sam sat in the driveway, muttering curses in his head until I glared over my shoulder at him. When I opened my door, he sped off. I'd deal with him later, I reckoned. Sooner or later, we'd have to have that talk. Sam wasn't one to let things go either, but it wasn't going to happen tonight.

I went inside, kicking off my shoes just beyond the door. Then I went to the kitchen, grabbed two slices of pizza and the bowl of leftover dumplings. While I heated up the dumplings, I munched on the cold pizza and poured a big glass of lemonade.

I was about half-way through my bowl of dumplings, sitting on the couch when I heard them. Four brains. Two human. Two vampire. One was, "Tara," I whispered, dropping the bowl onto the floor and running to my front door.

"Invite us in."

I opened the door wider. "Please, Bill Compton, do come in."

**A/N: I know. It's a little evil. Well, maybe a lot evil. But I'm working hard on the next one, so I promise I'll get it up as soon as I can. Coming down to the home stretch here. About 3 or 4 chapters left. **

**Please, if you have the time, drop me a line. Thanks in advance. Until next time...**

**KISSES!**


	20. I Have Come For You

**A/N: I was trying to have this up a week ago, but it didn't work out that way. Thanks for patiently waiting, and the many of you who left wonderful comments on the last chapter. You guys are so great, and I truly appreciate every comment, alert, favorite, or otherwise. Thank you!**

**Special thanks: EtheHunter puts up with me, lord knows why. I owe her many things.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris created them. She also makes the money off them, not me.**

**Previously...**

"_Jeez," I said, feeling awful. "I'm sorry."_

_Sam craned his neck to look at me while still watching the road. "Andy let me head out a little after two."_

"_Is that when you picked up your truck? I didn't even hear you."_

"_You wouldn't have," Sam muttered. "You sounded busy."_

"_Sam," I warned. There was no telling what he'd heard, but from his thoughts, he hadn't arrived to retrieve his truck during one of my crying fits._

_He held up a hand. "Not to be in your business or nothing, cher, but you really think that's a good idea?"_

"_I don't know," I admitted. I didn't know if it was a good idea. I was a mind reader, not a fortune teller. I did, however, know that it wasn't any of Sam's business. Aside from that, even if it was a mistake, it was my decision to make. "He's not like anyone else I've ever met," I said._

"_He wouldn't be, would he?" Sam snorted. "He's a vampire, Sookie. A vampire."_

"_I know that."_

_He pulled into my driveway and shoved the gear into park. "Be smart. He's dangerous."_

"_Yeah, well," I opened the door, my mind instantly replaying my torture session the previous night in slow motion. "So am I. Thanks for the ride."_

"_Sookie, wait."_

_I got out and slammed the door, walking steadily toward my house. Sam sat in the driveway, muttering curses in his head until I glared over my shoulder at him. When I opened my door, he sped off. I'd deal with him later, I reckoned. Sooner or later, we'd have to have that talk. Sam wasn't one to let things go either, but it wasn't going to happen tonight._

_I went inside, kicking off my shoes just beyond the door. Then I went to the kitchen, grabbed two slices of pizza and the bowl of leftover dumplings. While I heated up the dumplings, I munched on the cold pizza and poured a big glass of lemonade. _

_I was about half-way through my bowl of dumplings, sitting on the couch when I heard them. Four brains. Two human. Two vampire. One was, "Tara," I whispered, dropping the bowl onto the floor and running to my front door._

"_Invite us in."_

_I opened the door wider. "Please, Bill Compton, do come in."_

**SPOV**

Words. They can mean so much, if used the right way. Or they can mean little to nothing. They can be dangerous if used in the wrong way. Even more deadly if used properly. They always say actions speak louder than words. I'd used my words _as_ action. My invitation to Bill had been intentionally worded.

"My friend as well," Bill said, stepping over the threshold and into my home for the first time.

I turned to glare at his friend. "He can rot out there for all I care."

Phillip sneered, baring his fangs. "You're so dead, bitch. Can't you see that?"

I smirked. "Not dead yet."

It was all bravado. Of course I knew I'd be dead, or worse, and very, _very_ soon. I turned to look at Tara, trying not to let a hint of my fear show even remotely in my features. My eyes flicked to Rene and the deadly weapon he held tightly to her neck. Two serrated prongs threatened to prick the dark skin protecting the live force that pumped in Tara's veins.

At least I knew what the hell they'd been using to make it appear like a vampire attack. It was a vicious looking weapon, nearly a foot in length including the handle. It reminded me of a fire poker, only not nearly as innocuous looking.

Bill snarled, caught Rene's eyes, and two drops of blood welled on Tara's skin. "Cooperate and I just might let her live. Be stupid and she'll be dead before you can scream."

My eyes landed on his, burned holes. "What do you want?"

"You," he said simply.

I extended my arms from my sides; a supplicant gesture. Funny how someone can threaten one you hold dear, and suddenly your will to fight is gone. I was downright friendly and hospitable. "I'm all yours."

"Invite Phillip inside."

I cocked my head at Bill. "Why? He's fine out there. It's just me." Then I put a hand on my hip, checked the nails on my other hand. "Unless, of course, you don't think you can handle little ole me by your lonesome."

My odds were better one-on-one. I knew I'd have to deal with Phillip eventually, but if I could manage to kill Bill first, then I had a better chance in besting Phillip later, without any one to get his back. Only problem was, I didn't have any weapons. I let my eyes wander the room.

Bill barked out a laugh, surprising me. "You are a stupid cunt, aren't you?" He laughed again, and I saw red. My eyes burned but I would not cry for him. "I don't know why she wants you so badly."

So, it _was_ the Queen. I figured as much seeing as how her errand boy was here to fetch me, but it was nice to have my theory verified. I grit my teeth. "It's my charming personality."

Bill started circling the room, his eyes calculating, proud. I used the opportunity to do a bit of pacing of my own, not allowing him my back as I made my way over to the fireplace. Something there had caught my eye, now it was time to see if it could be of use.

"I have, single-handedly I might add, set this all up, you see? Aside from Queen Sophie-Anne calling your vampire lover away, of course."

I narrowed my eyes. They'd called Eric away from me on purpose? I tried to think why, and then remembered I'd had his blood. A lot of it. Which meant, as soon as I was in danger, Eric would feel it. Before, I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Now though, I was almost certain he would have come to help. And that wouldn't do well for dear old Bill, now would it?

I nodded at Phillip. "What the hell do you need him for, then? Back-up?"

"Should've killed me when you had the chance, bitch," Phillip sang from somewhere outside the door. I couldn't see him. As far as I was concerned, he didn't exist. His words were true. I should've killed him. "I'll enjoy hearing you scream."

I laughed darkly, smiled at Bill. "He screamed like a little girl when I cut him. Did he tell you that?"

"Bitch," Phillip snarled.

I grabbed a figurine off the mantle, a little red cardinal, and chucked it at the door as a distraction. "Call me that one more time," I hissed, "And I _will_ kill you."

I slipped the dagger into the back of my pants just as Bill's gaze returned. It was the same one I'd used the night before to torture Phillip. Eric must've set it up there sometime last night. I didn't remember seeing it, but I'd been a little out of it. Now, I was just glad he'd brought it back to me.

My eyes flicked to Tara, who was sobbing uncontrollably. I flinched, even as I spoke. "It's gonna be alright," I lied. "Just stay calm, everything's gonna be fine." I moved into position.

"Easy for you to say," she said, teeth chattering in fear.

I smiled at her. I loved her so damn much. Even with that horrific blade to her throat, she still had fire. It was all she had, that mouth of her's, since her thoughts were trying to prepare for an inevitable death, but it would be enough. I hoped.

"Let her go free," I told Bill. "Let her walk away now, and I'll go without a fight."

Bill's eyes swept me from head to toe, scrutinized. He thought he had the situation won, I could tell that from the set of his shoulders, his neck and head, held high and proud. He flicked a hand and Rene released Tara, his hands falling lax at his sides. His mind and thoughts were under the fog of vampire control.

"Run," Bill said to her, "Before I change my mind."

She hesitated, but only briefly. "Go. I'll be fine," I assured her. She would call the police, Sam too, as soon as she'd gotten back to her car, which was a couple miles down the road. They'd walked from there, having snatched her up on her way home from the bar. "Go, Tara."

She did. Phillip grabbed her as soon as she was out the door, which I'd expected him to do. No way they'd let her walk away, remembering everything. "You will tell no one," he said, capturing her mind in his. "Go straight home. You'll remember nothing."

He released her, and she walked, brain-muddled, out of sight. I listened, keeping my eye on Phillip, until I couldn't hear her anymore.

"At least he does something right, huh, Bill?" I said, looking at Lafayette's traitorous lover. I'd felt guilty for torturing him. Cried tears over it. Now, though, none of that remained. In my mind, I saw his death, and it was glorious.

Looking back on it, I realize I should have rescinded Bill's invitation right then and there. But I still had a glamoured Rene to deal with, and he was just as much a victim as anyone else had been. Bill'd been working him like a puppet all along.

I owed it to him, to me, to at least _try_ to save him. I just needed time to come up with a plan. Then everything went all to hell.

"Stupid bitch," Phillip spat from the door.

I didn't think. I just let my blade fly. He hissed and screamed, scrambling at my blade in his chest. I watched happily as he rotted and turned to a cloud of dust. I smiled, felt that slight joy singing all the way in my soul.

Silver was deadly, but what made my dagger special was the wooden inlay hidden beneath all that shiny metal. I'd had it custom made, and it'd taken a few tries to get it right. The tip kept breaking because the wood wasn't strong enough to handle the weight of the silver on an impact. I'd had to pay for three others before it, for materials alone, until they figured out that not all of it had to be made of wood. Just enough to pierce a heart. Six hundred dollar blade was worth it. Then I frowned, realizing my mistake.

Not my brightest moment, since now my only weapon sat in a pile of vampire remains outside on my porch, but hindsight is twenty-twenty. Still, it'd felt good killing that bastard.

"That was stupid," Bill said, confirming my own thoughts.

I shrugged, feigning an indifference I didn't feel. He'd called me bitch. Again. "I _did_ warn him."

Bill chuckled. "No worries," he said flippantly, "There are plenty more where he came from."

"Now him," I said, nodding at Rene. "Let him go, and you'll get no fight from me," I paused, thinking of something else. "Make sure he remembers nothing." That would be unbearable. For many, especially Rene. He'd never recover. It would be a slow, guilt-ridden death for him to remember all the things he'd done. Rape, torture, murder, and who knows what else.

"What do you care?" Bill asked, moving closer. "He's no one to you. A mere customer who demands a burger once a week." I took a step towards the door, slowly working my way back over to my blade. He pretended not to notice, but I saw his eyes flick to it. "His fate is decided anyway. I've made sure of that."

When I stopped to think about it, I realized it was true. They'd found semen on Dawn. Skin too, from beneath her fingernails. Dawn had not gone as easily as Maudette. The police would get the results in weeks, maybe months, but they would find out.

God, what had I been thinking? That I'd be able to save everyone? I struggled to keep my emotions off my face, but I was sure Bill could tell what I was feeling. It would've shown clear as day in my eyes. Eyes were the window to the soul. They were also the window to a vampire's glamour.

I glimmer of hope came from what Eric'd told me.

"No jury would convict someone under glamour of such a heinous crime," I told Bill, shaking my head and taking another step closer to my weapon. It called to my hand like some sort of missing finger. "Even when they catch him, they won't be able to sentence him to prison. Maybe the mental hospital for a few years, at most," I said with a shrug. Almost there. "But they'll still be looking for the one in charge. Namely, you."

Bill smiled condescendingly. "Unless I glamour him into confessing."

It pissed me off that he'd thought this through better than I had. I should have known as much. Bill had been a step ahead, staying under the radar, the whole time. He was far better at this game than I gave credit for. Far better than I. "You wouldn't." I knew he would.

He raised an eyebrow. "I would."

I sighed. "Why? Why all the scheming?" I asked, tossing my hands in the air. "Why not just come after me?"

Five more feet to go, yet I still had to figure out a way to distract Bill so I could grab it. My tentative plan was to reach my dagger, retrieve it, rescind Bill's invitation before he could do anything rash – like, say, burn my house down – stake him, just as I'd done Phillip, and then call it a night. But it wasn't going to be that easy. There were other factors to consider.

Like the fact that Rene was still glamoured. Would he be released upon Bill's final death? I wasn't sure. It may have to be a risk I took, regardless. I stood a better chance one-on-one with a human than I did a vampire. Plus, Bill was fast. Could he possibly stop me _before_ I'd had time to grab my weapon? Another risk I might have to take.

Bill notched his chin higher, extending his arms. "There are reasons I've kept my job as the Queen's procurer for as long as I have."

"Certainly not your keen fashion sense," I said dryly.

He sneered. "Eric was a problem we hadn't foreseen," he continued as if I hadn't spoken. "I had to concoct a plan to get you away from him. Separate the two of you. But you just couldn't help running back to him, could you?"

I wanted to hear all of it, from the beginning, his whole sordid plan, but there were a few questions I wanted answered before the others. "Your friend," I said, sliding a tad closer to my destination. "The one from Arkansas. What about him? He tried to kill me."

"Not kill you," he defended. "Scare you."

I snorted. "And you thought I'd come running to you?" It'd been just a statement, but when I caught the look on his face, I recognized it was _exactly_ what he'd thought. "Why the hell would I do that?" I'd been suspicious of Bill from the beginning. Nothing I'd done or said to him since we'd met should have made him jump to that conclusion.

Bill waved a hand. "He was supposed to frighten you, chase you into the woods. Of course, it would merely be coincidental that you'd end up near my home."

_Aha._ I nodded. I got it now. Scare me into running right into my enemy's arms. Bill probably would've tried to get his blood in me, offer to heal my injuries. Then he'd have his own form of GPS tagged right in my blood stream. "Only I didn't run."

"Unfortunately."

"And Maudette?"

"I had her taken as bait, but when you killed Ray, I had our friend here return the favor. Of course he needed a little help finding the right spot to hide her." Bill winked.

He _had_ hid her in the woods so I would find her. "What about Dawn?"

"What does it matter?" he asked. I didn't think he really wanted me to answer so I stayed silent. "Enough talking. It is time for us to go." He checked his watch. "If we leave within the hour, we will have just enough time to get to New Orleans before the sun rises."

_Oh, goody. _I couldn't wait. "Hold up a minute," I said, stalling. "I'm just trying to understand." Bill sighed heavily, and if he hadn't been a vampire, I would've expected there to be an eye roll to go along with it. "You were trying to frame me. I got that. But why? What good am I to you, or your queen, if I'm in prison?"

Bill shook his head. "Not you, dear Sookie. I was trying to frame Eric. But your incompetent human police snatched onto you like you were the plague. Funny how they fear you as much as they do us." Us as in vampires. It stung because it was true. "Only when they didn't let it go, did I realize I was going to have to work with that."

"So you wanted to frame Eric," I said, looking at the ceiling as if in thought. "To get him away from me, right?" Bill dipped his chin once. "By killing Maudette and Dawn, you'd set him up to go down, since he had been involved with them?" Maudette, at least, he'd taken blood from. Bill had assumed incorrectly about Dawn. Not that any of it mattered anymore. He nodded again. "Only they came after me instead, so you went after Lafayette?"

"Yes."

"And then there was Phillip," I went on. "I'm assuming it was him who had Eric's phone stolen."

"I stole Eric's phone."

"Alright then." _Keep him talking_, I thought. _Just keep him talking_. "So what was his job anyhow? I'm not seeing how he fits into all of this."

"Phillip's job was to get close to you. Through your own friends, naturally. You seemed instinctively suspicious of me, which I found a might curious, I must admit. Most humans find me appealing."

"Well, I'm not most humans," I muttered.

"Indeed," Bill allowed. "I was perplexed once you did not succumb to my glamour."

"Join the club." I waved a hand. We were getting off subject, and I could only assume that was his goal. "So Phillip killed Lafayette? Why have him go after Eric? Why not just snatch me up then?"

"Your friend there killed Lafayette. Phillip was long gone," Bill added. He took two steps further away from me, and I nearly jumped at the chance for my blade, but his eyes were on me like a hawk. "His job was to distract Eric while I grabbed you."

"Only I went after Phillip myself."

He gave me a derisive look. "You've proven most unpredictable, I must say. Perhaps my most difficult task as of yet."

I curtsied, gritting my teeth in a sinister smile. "I aim to please."

He wasn't amused. "You just had to go and drink Eric's blood, didn't you?" For a second I thought he was referring to the previous night, but it was just a general statement to let me know he knew I'd done it at some point. "Were it not for that, and his subsequent tracking of you, I would have grabbed you on your way home last night."

"So," I snapped, "You tried to frame Eric, wound up framing me. Phillip was to distract Eric, so that you could take me last night, but that plan went to shit, too. What makes you think tonight will work out any better?"

"Because, dear Sookie, I never fail to get my man. Or woman, as in this case." He lowered his eyes to stare intently at me. I think he was trying to be frightening. Too bad I was beyond that point. "I will have you. My Queen will have you, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. You've only succeeded in delaying the inevitable. No one will come to your rescue now. I've guaranteed that."

_Blah. Blah. Blah. Yada. Yada. Yada. _

"I still don't get it," I said. Bill growled, and it was then that I realized I was pushing him too far. One more question. One more, and I could make a go of it. Hopefully, Eric's blood would make me fast enough. "What's the Queen want me for anyway?" Well, two questions. "Why go through all this elaborate bullshit in the first place? Surely you had plenty of chances to grab me in the beginning. If your friend Ray hadn't come along and attacked me like he had, I would've never needed Eric's blood."

That's what made the least sense to me. It seemed stupid to drag it out, perhaps take a chance at failing by doing so, if the whole point had just been to keep Eric and I apart so that he _could_ kidnap me. If it hadn't been for all his scheming, I may not have ever went to Eric for anything aside from the job he'd hired me to do. Sad really, since I liked Eric, but it was truth.

If Bill had not sent some asshole over to scare me half to death, who nearly succeeded in killing me because I'd fought him, then he'd have had no reason for all the murders and plots to separate Eric and I.

The Queen wanted me. I figured if she wanted me bad enough to send someone after me, then she'd probably want it done as swiftly as possible. Bill had ultimately dragged it all out, not me, with his plotting and scheming. It didn't make sense.

"She wants you for your telepathy, of course."

"Figures," I muttered. I made a motion for him to continue.

"I told you before the Queen hired me to be her personal procurer for reasons." He gave me a mocking smile. "A captive who knows what we are capable of is a cooperative one." He stepped closer and I flinched. "I let your friend leave for a reason. If you try to escape, even once, I will have her killed."

I swallowed hard, recognizing where his threats were going. I understood now. Boy, did I. I understood, and knew he had me pegged. He'd planned it out the only way he could have. Maybe others would have been less likely to fight, less likely to argue, but not me. Not me.

But by threatening Tara, Bill and his Queen could ensure my complete and utter cooperation. Bill knew I wouldn't risk fight or flight even at the threat of someone else's death. Most especially not someone I loved. It didn't guarantee I wouldn't fight now, because I would, but it definitely would make me think twice about it, knowing there would be risks with every wrong move I made. I just couldn't make any wrong moves.

"Phillip was to stay behind at the old house out there," he went on, "Keep a close eye on her. But no matter, another will be sent. You can count on that. Your friends, Dawn, Maudette, Lafayette, even Rene here, whom I know you're not close with, prove to you that I will do whatever it takes to ensure your complete cooperation. Misbehave once, dear Sookie, and Tara will be dead before you can blink. You wouldn't want anyone else's blood on your hands, now would you? Certainly the four are enough."

I flinched, bit back my tears. I would cry later. Not now. Not now. Later. His words were like a stake in my heart. Painful and deadly. The plan had been so simple, even as complicated as I'd assumed it to be from the beginning. It was so simple, and we'd been so close. So damn close it hurt.

"I should've killed you," I muttered.

He smiled. "Like you could have."

Part of me wanted to tell him I very well could have. He was dead to the world for hours of the day. Maybe it would have taken a couple of hours, but I would have found where he slept. I could have snuck into his house and staked him while the sun was high in the sky. And Bill, poor, pitiful Bill, would have been non the wiser. It was stupid of me not to have thought of it before. Even more stupid of me not to have done it.

"Alright, Bill," I said, holding my hands in the air. "You've got me. No one else needs to be killed. I'll go willingly. I'll do whatever it is your queen wants me to do. There's just one more thing."

My muscles tensed to strike. Let's hope Eric's blood paid off. If not, I was taking a chance with not only my life, but with Tara's as well. I had to though. I had to.

"What is that?" he asked, cocky.

I jumped. "I rescind – "

A hand clamped over my mouth and I screamed, feeling the tears of defeat as they welled in my eyes. I cursed myself a hundred times. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I'd been so close.

"Foolish, foolish girl," Bill said into my ear. He had me from the back, so I could feel his breath as he taunted me, cold and laughing against my skin. "Did you think me blind? Did you think I didn't know what you were up to?"

I fought hard against him, struggled with everything I had. Eric's blood made me strong. Bill grunted, cursing when I got an arm loose. But then he banded me with both of his arms, and all my strength was not enough. Tears were hot on my face.

"I should chase your friend down. Make you watch me as I drain her. I know you'll hear it," he purred. I closed my eyes, tried to find my breath. "I know you'll be able to hear it, from her mind, when she loses consciousness, and then, ultimately, when the life leaves her body. How would that make you feel?"

_Fuck. Please don't._ I shook my head as much as I could. _God, Tara!_ I'd been an idiot.

"She's not all you have left now," Bill continued. "Perhaps I could kill that shifter boss of yours." I shook my head harder. "I won't. Not yet. Not tonight." He took a deep breath, inhaling my scent I think, and kissed my neck. I shivered, tensing, even as the relief of Tara being spared surged through me, momentarily as it may have been. "Now, be a good little girl. It's time to go."

I let my knees collapse, just as I felt him try to lift me. We both fell to the ground and he cursed. When he stood again, I had my dagger. I took a deep breath, stilled my muscles, readied them, and struck out with my right hand.

The move shocked him enough that my arm broke free, but I'd only managed to catch him in the shoulder, right below his collar bone. Literally inches away from the target. I cursed.

"Bitch," he hissed. "You'll pay for that."

Then he lunged, and I was too slow to stop it. His fangs pierced my neck and I screamed. His hand covered my mouth. I think he moaned. While I sobbed, each deep pull he took from my veins weakened me, right down to the sole's of my feet. Until there was no fight left, no strength.

My vision blurred, the tight clench of my fists relaxed until my arms and fingers felt numb. The dagger clattered to the porch, a thundering echo. "Night, night," Bill growled, and then I was out.

I was jarred awake, I don't know how much later. It was dark. My brain felt fuzzy. I sat bolt upright, only to be knocked right back down when my head banged against something. _Shit._ I squinted, blinking, trying to make my eyes adjust. I caught a slight red haze. A light.

I was in... I was in a trunk? We hit another bump in the road just as I realized that. I tried to scream, but my mouth was bound. As were my hands, behind my back, and my feet, tied at the ankles. I kicked and screamed, though it was all muffled, to no avail.

We were driving. No one would hear me. Late as it probably was, I was confident not many folks were out. Had he hurt Tara? Sam? No, no, I thought. If he had, no doubt Bill would have wanted me to see that. To witness it firsthand.

I cursed myself some more. How stupid could I really be? I'd known I got lucky with that first vampire. _Known_ it. And yet, I still had to go and take my chances against Bill. Foolish, was damn right. I seriously doubted it would be the last time I thought that of myself either.

I looked around and tried to think. What could I do? What could I use? My dagger was gone. I'd held onto it after stabbing Bill, then dropped it as I passed out. I narrowed my eyes and rolled over, working my way to where the taillight casings were.

After I'd worked out the little plastic screws, and broken a few of my nails down to the quick, I rolled back over. I scooted back as far as I could, bracing myself against the rear of the trunk. Then I kicked. Again, and again, I kicked until, finally, one of the taillights fell out, and onto the road.

The sudden rush of air was as much a relief as that small victory. I didn't know what the hell I was going to do now, since I had no hands, but at least I'd made myself a hole. If nothing else, at least I wouldn't die of heat stroke.

I'd read a pamphlet once at one of my self-defense classes that advised if ever you found yourself locked in the trunk of a car you should kick out the taillights. It had said you could wave your hands out the slot and possibly alert other drivers.

Bill's car was too old to have one of those safety release levers. I'd checked for that first. I rolled back over and scooted close enough to stick my hands out. Only my fingers made it beyond the car, so I could only hope someone would see. No doubt Bill had heard me kicking around, so I didn't figure I had much time either way.

A few minutes later, I heard sirens. My satisfaction, my hope, was nearly choking. Tears blurred my vision.

The car slowed, and we pulled to the side. When I heard Bill's car door open, my heart thumped in fear. This wasn't going to work either. I knew it, and it settled like a ball of iron in my stomach.

"Hands where I can see – "

That was as far as the police officer had gotten before Bill had him under his spell. A car door shut, and I heard it drive off. Then the trunk opened. I screamed and kicked out, not coming close to hitting Bill.

"Just remember, Sookie dear, you asked for this."

Metal sparked in the roadside light, and I caught the glint of a needle. Bill held it aloft, pressing on the plunger to clear it of air, and a stream of liquid shot out of the tip. I struggled harder. Bill pushed me down with one hand and stuck the needle in my neck. It stung cold for all of three seconds, then there was only darkness.

Consciousness returned in varying degrees. At first it was just sounds, muffled and unintelligible. It sounded more like running water, like a rain storm with crashes of occasional thunder. My neck pinched in pain as I tried to move my head and discern the sounds. I was out again.

Next I saw flickers of light. My ears didn't seem to be working that time. Or, if they were, they'd been stuffed with cotton. I blinked sporadically, trying to clear the haze from my eyes. I caught a flash of gold. Red. A chair in the distance. Windows. Windows everywhere.

A loud bang sounded and I awoke once more. Shouting sounded. Many voices. I squinted. Closed my eyes. Opened them. I couldn't see a thing. It was either pitch dark or they'd covered my eyes. I tried to listen with more than just my ears, but I couldn't make out any thoughts, much less any of the conversation that was occurring in the distance.

Where was I? I had to get out of here. I struggled to move, realizing I was bound. My arms stretched painfully above my head. My legs felt even more extended since they were spread wide. I could hear chains rattle, feel metal tearing at my skin, as I fought against them.

Whatever drug Bill had given me was damn good. Seconds or minutes later, I was unconscious again. Every move I'd made seemed to take all of my strength.

Something struck my face, and I moaned in protest, my head lolling to the side. A slap sounded, and I felt it again. Harder. I grunted in pain.

"Someone wake her up."

"M'up," I mumbled. "Stop hittin me."

I blinked, squinting at the lights. My eyes burned. My head throbbed. My hands and feet felt all tingly. I'd been in this position for a while. I groaned again, trying to shake myself out of my stupor. I felt like I'd drunk a gallon of whisky, spiked with vodka. Maybe topped with a gallon or twelve of good old fashioned moonshine.

"There you are," a soft voice purred. My eyes rolled around, finally landing on a young girl with red hair. "I've waited a long time to meet you, Ms. Stackhouse. A long time indeed."

This was the Queen? This little girl? I laughed uncontrollably.

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know. This one is a bit of evil too. I'm so sorry. These last few chapters are going to be a bit like that, and I do apologize in advance. I promise to get the next one up as soon as I can. **

**3-4'ish, chapters left. EEP!**

**Thanks in advance for taking the time to read and review! Until next time...**

**KISSES!**


	21. In the Arms of Death

**A/N: Alrighty, folks, this one here is a super duper long one, and I really hope that you enjoy it. Thanks for the great reviews for the last chapter. I'm thrilled that you've all stuck with me for so long. **

**Special thanks: EtheHunter looked this over. And at 20 pages, over 10k words – I've written one-shots shorter than this! – let me tell you, that's a feat in itself. She is wonderful and amazing. Any remaining mistakes are all mine. Please forgive me.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is the one who makes all the money. Please don't take my microwave; it hardly works as it is.**

**Previously...**

"_Just remember, Sookie dear, you asked for this."_

_Metal sparked in the roadside light, and I caught the glint of a needle. Bill held it aloft, pressing on the plunger to clear it of air, and a stream of liquid shot out of the tip. I struggled harder. Bill pushed me down with one hand and stuck the needle in my neck. It stung cold for all of three seconds, then there was only darkness._

_Consciousness returned in varying degrees. At first it was just sounds, muffled and unintelligible. It sounded more like running water, like a rain storm with crashes of occasional thunder. My neck pinched in pain as I tried to move my head and discern the sounds. I was out again._

_Next I saw flickers of light. My ears didn't seem to be working that time. Or, if they were, they'd been stuffed with cotton. I blinked sporadically, trying to clear the haze from my eyes. I caught a flash of gold. Red. A chair in the distance. Windows. Windows everywhere._

_A loud bang sounded and I awoke once more. Shouting sounded. Many voices. I squinted. Closed my eyes. Opened them. I couldn't see a thing. It was either pitch dark or they'd covered my eyes. I tried to listen with more than just my ears, but I couldn't make out any thoughts, much less any of the conversation that was occurring in the distance._

_Where was I? I had to get out of here. I struggled to move, realizing I was bound. My arms stretched painfully above my head. My legs felt even more extended since they were spread wide. I could hear chains rattle, feel metal tearing at my skin, as I fought against them._

_Whatever drug Bill had given me was damn good. Seconds or minutes later, I was unconscious again. Every move I'd made seemed to take all of my strength._

_Something struck my face, and I moaned in protest, my head lolling to the side. A slap sounded, and I felt it again. Harder. I grunted in pain._

"_Someone wake her up."_

"_M'up," I mumbled. "Stop hittin me."_

_I blinked, squinting at the lights. My eyes burned. My head throbbed. My hands and feet felt all tingly. I'd been in this position for a while. I groaned again, trying to shake myself out of my stupor. I felt like I'd drunk a gallon of whisky, spiked with vodka. Maybe topped with a gallon or twelve of good old fashioned moonshine._

"_There you are," a soft voice purred. My eyes rolled around, finally landing on a young girl with red hair. "I've waited a long time to meet you, Ms. Stackhouse. A long time indeed."_

_This was the Queen? This little girl? I laughed uncontrollably._

**SPOV**

You know how they say, when you die, your entire life will flash before your eyes? I'd always been curious about that. How could so much life play out in so little time? Why, when death is inevitable, would what you'd accomplished, or failed to accomplish for that matter, be of such importance to a person?

As I laughed like a maniac in the face of the vampire Queen of Louisiana, I saw my death in her eyes and waited for that slide-reel to begin.

Nothing happened, of course, and maybe that was because I wasn't destined to die at that precise moment. I remained a skeptic regardless. I doubted very much that I'd be thinking about the life I'd led when the time of my death finally did arrive. Mostly because, _oh hell_, because I'd be about to die!

"What is wrong with her?" the Queen asked, sending me into another round of hysterics. "What the hell did you give her, Bill?"

And because I was fool enough to laugh in the face of death. "You're...?" I laughed, cutting it off into a snicker. "You're the Queen?" Or maybe something in the drug Bill gave me _had_ made me nuts. It probably didn't help that I was a little crazy to begin with. "How old are you? Twelve?"

She smiled at me, and there was not an ounce of friendliness in that smile at all. It was all teeth and fangs and murder. Her eyes were not twelve. Not anywhere close. Still, I chuckled.

She tapped a nail on one fang, looking thoughtful. My laughter ceased as soon as she used her other hand to scrape her nails down my cheek. I cried out, even as much as I fought not to. I could feel my blood trickle down to my chin.

"Not so funny now, hmm?" Then she was laughing. It was like a child, only not. There was something wrong in her tinkling laughter that chilled me. She licked her fingers clean of my blood, nipping with her fangs at my skin beneath her nails. "Mmm," she purred. "Now _that_ is a treat I hadn't expected. You taste divine."

"What do you want from me?" I rasped, biting back my tears. I would not give her those. I would not give her the satisfaction. Eric hadn't told me what she'd done to Pam, but I had a very vivid imagination. Whatever it was, Queen Sophie-Anne had enjoyed it.

She stepped closer, her round face the picture of early adolescence, and leaned to lick my scratched cheek. I could already feel that it had stopped bleeding, so it was a positive thing for me to realize Eric's blood was still working in my system. I needed all the help I could get.

"Hadley was sweet," she purred, "But you taste better."

I closed my eyes. I'm not sure why it hurt as bad as it did to hear that it had been Hadley who sold me out. I just know it hurt. Nothing I could do about it now, I supposed. Was Hadley alive? Was she here somewhere? More worry to go on top of everything else I was trying to deal with. I tried to shut it all down. One thing at a time. First, I needed to get out of here.

"Let me go." It never hurt to ask, right? Even if it was hopeless.

Her tinkling voice was a whisper in my ear, "I have a gift for you, Sookie." She took a step back, then called out, "Andre." She stepped back a little further, extending her arms to the side, and her green gown flowed like silk away from her limbs.

I took advantage of the space to get a better look at the room I was being held in. Wall-to-wall windows, save the one I was strapped to, but it was night, so I couldn't see a thing outside them. There was a slightly raised dais just across from me, holding one chair of an elaborate gold with a single red pillow as cushion. The floors were marble and white. Not what I would have chosen, but I wasn't the one in charge of decorating.

Bill stood slightly to my left, near one wall of windows, and behind his dear Queen. His face was relaxed, bored even. Behind him was... something. A table, maybe? It was covered with a gaudy red and gold cloth, so I couldn't tell exactly.

A door opened behind me. Footsteps sounded. I caught sight of a male, vampire from the brain signature, in my peripheral. He tugged another behind him, human. I dove into the brain as soon as it stepped in the room. Even glamoured I knew who it was, before I could see her with my eyes.

"Tara," I whispered, feeling all the air leave my lungs. I'd screwed up majorly, fighting Bill off as I had. Then again, maybe they would have captured her all along.

The vampire I could only assume was Andre walked further into the room, pausing to give me a once over, and then lift his chin as if he weren't impressed. He didn't look much older than the Queen in human years, but there was something infinitely more sinister in that expression of his. _That_, they had in common. His eyes, though, those were familiar. I wracked my brain and came up empty.

Behind him, Tara walked zombie-like, a chain around her neck. Andre tugged on his end of her leash, and I flinched as she stumbled. Then she was upright again, as if she had merely tripped. She walked over to where Andre had stopped, directly beside the Queen, and knelt down. When Andre put his hand in Tara's hair, stroking her like a kitten and exposing her neck in the process, I made a face. Her puncture wounds dripped with fresh blood.

"Look at that, Andre," Sopie-Anne purred. "Such beautiful anger. Her lovely eyes are filled with hate. It smells delicious, does it not?" I didn't think vampire's could smell emotion, but that she said it made me frown.

Andre licked his lips. "May I taste her now?" The look he gave me promised violence. The one I gave him promised the same, despite the precarious situation I was in. Once I got out of here, I was going to kill Andre.

"Patience," she chided.

Andre stomped a foot. "You promised me!" I snickered.

The Queen gave me a sweet smile. "Something funny?"

"Yes," I thought, biting my lip as soon as I realized I'd said it aloud. I backtracked. "Not really. Let her go. It's me you want."

"It is," she said, still smiling. "However, I think we'll keep your dark-meat friend here. Just for a while. You've been a lot of trouble, Ms. Stackhouse. I do hope you're worth it."

"I'm not," I said, ready to spit nails. "I'm really a lot more trouble than I'm worth. You should just let me go now."

Sophie-Anne let out that disturbing giggle again. "My, but you _are_ a persistent thing, aren't you?" She placed a hand over my open mouth to keep me from speaking again. "Take a good look at Andre, dear, does he look familiar?"

I looked over at the vampire who was glaring in my direction. His fangs were clearly displayed. He did look familiar, but... "I can't say that he does."

Andre looked even more angered by that for whatever reason. "Care to know his last name?" the queen sang. "I'm quite sure you're smart enough to figure the rest out from there."

"Well, it's not Stackhouse," I said. No one in my family had eyes like that.

"No," she agreed, chuckling. I didn't like the sound of this laugh. It was even creepier than the childish giggle. "It is McGregor."

And just like that, my world tilted on its axis. It was in the eyes, the same strange green. His skin, too, with those slight freckles, noticeable even in his pale vampire skin. Andre's hair was more brown than red, which had hidden his kinship. Phillip had obviously been the older brother, even as young as he'd been.

"Very pleased to meet you," I said through my teeth. I could feel my pulse race, but little could be done to settle it. He had Tara, _my_ Tara, leashed up like some animal by his side. I didn't have to hear it to see the threat.

"Bitch," he sneered. What was it with the Mcgregor brothers needing to call girls bitches all the time? "I will hear you scream."

I had no doubt he would. Still... "Not as loud as your brother did." I did just say that out loud, didn't I? I tugged at my chains, jerking back as Andre jumped forward to attack.

Sophie-Anne pulled him up short. His fangs snapped in my face, and I could see his saliva dripping from the deadly tips. "Now, now," she tutted. "You'll get to have your fun in just a moment."

I tried to regulate my breathing, but it was a lost cause. I was nearing panic. I knew what was coming. Maybe I couldn't read vampire minds, but I'd learned a thing or two about their expressions. More exactly, I'd learned to read their eyes. Andre _was_ going to make me scream, and his queen was going to let him. My only solace was that Sophie-Anne had went through a hell of a lot of trouble to get me, so I doubted very much she'd allow him to kill me. Anything short of that, on the other hand, was green.

"He desires to mete out justice, you see?" She walked closer, flipping a lock of her strawberry-blond hair behind her shoulder. She could have been their sister, but I didn't think that was the case. Her eyes were different. Older in vampire years. "Your life for his brother's."

I stayed silent, tugging hard on my chains. They were sturdy. Probably built into the walls, the foundation, for just this sort of thing. How the hell could I get out of here? It was hopeless. For now.

"But I've worked too hard to get you here to let you die now," she continued, confirming my thoughts. "Your friend, on the other hand..." she winked.

"You leave Tara alone. Leave her alone or I'll – "

"You'll what? Rattle your chains at me?" Sophie-Anne giggled. "Glare angrily at me? Spew empty threats with that big, lovely mouth of yours." She had a point. I bit my lip. "Hmm. We'll spare Tara for the moment. It's been a while since Andre has had his very own pet to play with," she threatened. "I'm sure he'll enjoy his time with her."

I had no idea what that would entail, I only knew it would be bad, not enjoyable for Tara at all. I was grateful she was at least glamoured, and it sickened me to be grateful for such a thing. I sagged against my chains, feeling helpless. There wasn't a thing I could do to help her.

"I'll do whatever it is you want," I sighed. "Whatever you want."

"Oh, I know you will," the Queen said, stepping into my line of sight. Her delicate nose nearly touched mine as she spoke again. "But I have one more... present for you. This, I'm certain, will guarantee your total cooperation." I didn't like the sound of that. She grabbed my face, yanked my head so I was looking directly at the table in the corner of the room. "Bill."

His expression shifted; it was the first I'd seen even a hint of emotion on his face. Bill looked positively thrilled.

A swift tug at the cloth covering it revealed what lay beneath. My gasp was audible, an echo in the sparsely decorated room. My heart gave three rapid thumps, then slowed to something full of dread. I felt my stomach flip, acid churned. I stopped breathing.

Eric was naked, spread out like a feast of flesh on the long table. Silver shackled his ankles, his wrists and neck. His skin looked pallid, sunken in and splotched with dark, bruise-like patches around his eyes and cheeks.

It looked like they'd nearly drained him, then strapped him down with silver. It didn't look like he could move regardless of the restraints. He looked finally dead. If not for the tiny blip of awareness I felt inside me, I would have feared him so. I'd felt it before, but it had been so faint I hadn't recognized it for what it was. Besides all that, he was unconscious. I forced myself to inhale.

"The two of you have caused me a great headache, I'm afraid," she said, watching my reaction very carefully. I'd tried to control it, but I did not succeed. A tear rolled down my cheek. "You cry for him, how pathetic." Her cold tongue pressed firmly against my skin as she licked away my tear. I shuddered, closing off my emotions and locking them away deep inside. They'd do me no good. Not here. Not now. "I should kill him," she continued, offhandedly.

"What difference does it make?" I asked, hearing the lifelessness in my own voice. It was harder, deeper than I'd ever heard it. "I'm yours now."

"How nice of you to say," she said dryly. "Andre," she called. He sped forward, leaving Tara where she sat. "Break their bond."

"Bond?" What bond? If we'd bonded, it wasn't anything that could be broken. I hadn't wanted to like Eric in the beginning, but it'd happened anyway. He'd grown on me like a damn fungus, and now... Well, Eric wasn't a fungus.

"You did not know?" she asked. "Curious." I looked at her, tried to read her thoughtful expression, but failed.

"It would be easier to kill him now," Andre suggested. His eyes were all for me, and they were not friendly. I wasn't a vampire, but even I could scent the hate he emanated.

My eyes flicked back to Eric. Seeing him there, like that, did things to me that I'm not even sure I could define. He'd always been powerful in my eyes, full of life, deadly. Strong. Seeing him weak, near death, a mere ghost of what I knew him to be, disturbed me greatly.

"Perhaps," the queen said.

"Don't kill him," I begged.

Whatever they did to me would be done, but I couldn't live with myself if anymore died because of me. Tara, Eric. Sam, who'd they had yet to mention. I was sure they knew he meant something to me, because Bill had been very thorough in his studies. Rene. God, what had happened to him? I'd passed out, so I had no clue.

Eric. Something ached as I stared at him. Something felt raw and broken. _Get up_, I thought at him. _Get up. _They say hope is a thing with feather, and I felt mine fluttering away as I looked at Eric. _Please, get up._

"How sweet," Andre snarled. My eyes snapped to his. I had the brief satisfaction of seeing him flinch. Whatever he saw in my eyes frightened him, if only for a moment. "I say kill we him."

The queen hummed as she paced in front of me. "We have two options," she said, looking at me. "I kill Eric – one of my best sheriff's – to break your blood bond. Or..." she paused, for dramatic affect, I think. "Or, you blood bond with another."

"I don't know what a blood bond is," I responded. I didn't need them to know how desperate I was to keep Eric alive. I feared they'd only kill him because of it.

"Thrice blood exchanged," Sophie-Anne informed me, a hint of an accent turning her words formal. "Drink for a drink, creates a bond. Three times and there is only two ways one can break it, for a bond is formed between human and vampire."

I thought about it. Eric had not told me what it would do, but I knew I'd had his blood three times. As he'd had mine. Our last exchange had been the third, and I'd felt a slight change in our connection, but I hadn't suspected anything strange about it. I'd opened myself up to him in other ways, and I'd assumed that was why.

"How do you break it?" I asked. I'd think about all that later, and how it changed things, if at all. More important was what could I do about it now? Not a damn thing.

"Kill one and the tie breaks," she said grinning. "Bond with Andre and it will sever."

The lesser of two evils was still evil. "I will bond with Andre."

"Very well." She waved a hand in the air. "Take that one away," she said to Bill while pointing at Eric. "I will deal with him later. So much trouble." She shook her head. "If it weren't for his age and connections, I would have killed him long ago."

From the look in her eyes, I got the feeling she thought Eric was a threat to her throne. Maybe he was at one time, and maybe he could be again, but as I looked at him being rolled from the room, it was hard to picture. I was more a threat to her now, and that was saying something.

Sophie-Anne walked over to that ridiculous chair and sat down, curling her tiny legs beneath her. It made her look even more child-like, but the expression on her face was ruthless and cunning. Not like a child. Excitement burned in her eyes, and I felt fear race with the blood through my veins.

Andre stepped between us.

If the Queen had a taste for flesh, then Andre downright hungered for it. I froze, my heart thumping like a rhythmic drum. I felt each pump against my chest. What was to come would not be as simple as a blood exchange, nor would it be as pleasurable as what I'd experienced with Eric. Even the instance of my staking, when he'd healed me, would seem warm and fuzzy compared to whatever Andre had in mind.

My eyes flicked to Tara, sitting as if nothing were happening around her at all. From the swirling thoughts in her mind, I could tell she wasn't aware. Still... I craned my neck to peek at Sophie-Anne. "She doesn't need to be here for this. Let her go. Send her away."

Andre snarled, but I ignored him.

"She is his to do with as he pleases," she said, bobbing her head toward Andre. "Consider it penance." She smiled, wicked and delirious. "For his brother's life, I give him hers."

It was what I'd known. But hearing it put into those exact words made it real, made it inescapable. I sagged against the chains, trying not to cry. I'd been stupid. So stupid. Why, _oh why_, did I have to fight? Why couldn't I just have gone willingly, without putting up such a struggle? It hurt worse knowing Tara's fate had been in my hands and I'd sent her straight to hell.

"I'm just a telepath," I said, hearing the defeat in my voice. "Just a damn telepath." I couldn't even read vampire minds for Christ's sake!

"Oh, darling," the queen sang from her perch, "You're so much more than that to me. There are no limits to what I can obtain. Now, I can have it all."

My eyes narrowed as I lifted them to hers. "You're mistaken," I said stiffly. "And your expectations of me are way too high."

She gave me the first friendly smile since we'd met. "You just let me worry about the politics of it. I'm very good at playing chess, especially in the vampire world."

I snorted. "I can tell." She'd checked my mate, that was for sure. Still, she'd sorely misconstrued my capabilities. "I'm just a mind-reader. I'm not a psychic. I've no other special powers. Rely on me too much, and you're bound to fail."

When she sped forward and stroked my cheek, I jerked back so hard I banged my head against the wall. "_So_ much more than a telepath," she purred. "What's more is that you don't have a clue."

Andre looked as confused as I was by her words. "What does that mean?" We were both thinking it, I could tell, but he was the one that asked it.

"Never mind," she dismissed us both and returned to her seat. "You know the rules, Andre, my dear. Leave her alive."

_Leave her alive._ Words of comfort. I swallowed hard as Andre stepped closer, his eery green eyes in line with mine. I forgot all about trying to discern the queen's statement. My death was not in Andre's eyes, but I knew I'd wish for it before he was done with me.

His head tilted, as if curious. "He talked to me, you know?"

"Tell you about his boyfriend?" I knew without him saying it that he was speaking of Phillip. Well, I'd lost someone, too. It'd been eye for an eye. Though if I had it to do again, I'd have made Phillip suffer longer.

The corner of Andre's mouth tilted on one side. Creepiest smirk I'd ever seen. "Told me everything you did to him." His hand disappeared into the pocket of his trousers. I tried to contain my reaction. Failed. "Look familiar?"

He ran the tip of my dagger down the center of my shirt. The blade was sharp enough to slice it open. I focused on my lungs, each breath, in and out, nothing more. My hands clenched into fists around the chains holding me. I held tight to my restraints, stabilized my feet as best I could.

At least I knew what to expect now, I thought. The dagger I'd used to cut Phillip, to slice into his stomach like an apple pie, was firmly grasped in Andre's hand. Phillip had told his brother what I'd done to him. Andre had a reenactment planned.

"She's a beauty, no?" I asked, knowing my voice wavered. I would not scream for him. I would not. I grit my teeth.

Andre hissed, baring his fangs. "I will cut you, bitch." I made a face. Apparently, that was not what I was supposed to say. Whatever the fuck. I'd die before he heard me beg. "Just like you cut my brother." He leaned close enough that I could feel his body press against mine. He was excited. "And I'll enjoy it _far_ more than you can imagine."

I tilted my head so I could press my lips against his cheek. My stomach turned, and I braced myself for Andre's wrath. I hissed in his ear. "Little pricks like you never last long." That he was aroused only made the insult sweeter.

He screamed loud and long, sounding more like a child than the monster I knew him to be. He stepped back enough to plant his right fist against my jaw. My head jerked to the side, my teeth rattling. I think I bit my tongue. Stars floated in my eyes. "How's that feel, you stupid cunt? How's that feel?"

It was a fucking task, but I rolled my head until I could meet Andre's eyes. I licked my teeth. Spat my blood in his face. "You hit like a girl."

Couple more hits like that, and he'd knock me the hell out. Which was what I was hoping for. Didn't work out like that, at least not at first. He shot forward, rammed into me like a damn tank. For something so small, he sure packed a punch. Then my blade was buried in my side, and it was all I could do to keep from puking on the bastard.

Pain made it impossible to make a sound, not even a cry escaped. The red-hot agony raced up my spine and paralyzed me. "Not laughing now, are you? Huh? Huh, bitch?" He pulled it out and struck again on the opposite side.

Fuck knocking me unconscious, Andre was going to kill me.

As soon as I'd had the thought, the Queen's laughing voice could be heard over the rush of blood in my ears. "Give it to her now, Andre, before you kill her."

I couldn't see his blood or where it came from, but I felt it, cool and sweet, thick on my tongue. I tried not to swallow much, spitting it as quickly as I could onto those pretty white marble floors. Some made it down, I feared.

Not that it mattered. "Drink, you stupid girl," Andre said, holding his hands over my mouth and nose, forcing me to swallow. His blood made me want to vomit. I gagged on it.

Just as I felt myself healing is when Andre picked up the dagger again. I'll spare you the gory details, because it _was_ gory. He'd cut me up, or beat me half to death, and then heal me with his blood, just so he could do it all over again. I'm pretty sure he got off on it, but I'd sort of let go by that point.

I'm ashamed to admit it, but even as I look back on what I'd sacrificed, I don't think I would change it. When I felt the press of Andre's mind on mine, felt him forcing my will back, I gave it over willingly.

"I thought they said she couldn't be glamoured?" Andre asked.

I heard the Queen shift around, but she didn't come closer. I assumed she shrugged. I did not watch. Not that I could see anyway, through the constant haze of pain. "Maybe she's in shock."

"Whatever," Andre muttered, continuing with his blood rage.

It was easy to let it all go, let my mind slide into a different part of myself. A place where no one could hurt me. A place where everything in my world was right, and all the people I loved were living. Andre hadn't really glamoured me, not exactly, but I wasn't there, in that place of horror and blood and death, anymore either.

My session with Eric had taught me a thing or two, along with my sessions with Pam.

For me to be in control, at least at this place in time, I had to give up control. Eric had said a lot of things, done a lot of things, to try and force a reaction from me. I'd resisted a few times, but I'd never went completely inside myself as I did while Andre tortured me. I supposed, for me, it _had_ to be life or death or I'd never be capable of relinquishing that much of myself.

Andre was a sick fuck, and he lost interest soon after I became less... bothered by his attempts. As Pam had said, there were vampires who enjoyed, took pleasure from, a person's pain. Andre was one of those.

It got worse for a little while there, when he grew frustrated by my lack of reaction, but after I passed out, he gave up. I'm not even sure when, that was how out of it I was. When I woke up later, the room was empty, and I cried myself back to sleep.

Light blinded my eyes when they next flickered open. Three more tries produced the same result. Memory came back in flashes, much like my blinking eyes. I was tied up, bound by chains, in the vampire queen's torture chamber with white floors. Windows everywhere, that was why I couldn't see. It was daylight.

Daylight! Sweet, blinding and utterly beautiful daylight.

Instantly awake, I forced my eyes to adjust, squinting at the burn of the sun reflecting off those impractical floors. If ever I was going to make my escape, now was the time. Staying was not an option, no matter the consequences.

Perhaps you'll think I'm a selfish bitch for putting other's lives at risk with my foolery, and maybe I am, but if I stayed I would die and so would everyone else. It was fight or death. Flight or death, in this specific case. For me, it always would be it seemed.

Some day, maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but one day, I would fail Sophie-Anne. I would not perform to her expectations, or I'd push things when I shouldn't, and punishment would be the result. It would only take them once to go too far. Once, and I'd be dead. If the night before had taught me anything, it had been that.

And maybe it wouldn't even be a literal death. Perhaps it would be a figurative one. As I thought about what I'd done, what I'd had to give up, during last night's torture session, I recognized a small part of me had already been killed. How long would it take, how much abuse would I have to endure, before nothing of what I once was remained?

I wasn't sticking around to find out, you could hang your hat on that fact.

First things first, I had to get out of these chains. I took a moment to assess.

My feet were bound, yes, but they'd just used chains. The manacles weren't around my ankles, more like they were grounded in the wall and the chain was just looped through them and wrapped around both of my feet. The chain was tight enough that even as I struggled, I couldn't get a foot loose. But if I could get my hands free...

Only problem with that was in order to get my hands free, I was going to have to dislocate at least one of my thumbs, possibly take off a bit of skin in the process. Maybe I'd have to repeat the same on the other hand. I'd have to make my escape, saving Tara and Eric in the process, with two fucked up hands.

I'd had vampire blood, a lot of it, too. Not a single injury remained from the night before. I wasn't even stiff from being tied up and sleeping upright for the entire night, which is really saying something. Now, my insides _did_ feel a bit like they'd been rearranged, but I think that was more nerves, coupled with the fact I hadn't eaten in a while, than anything else.

However, when I tugged hard on the chains binding my wrist, I didn't get so much as a groan of weakness from the walls. I was going to have to break my own hand, thumb more exactly, but I wasn't sure there _was_ an exact science to it. If I pulled my hands out, something was going to break, and it was going to hurt.

Someone would hear me.

I closed my eyes and listened. Vampires were dead all around me, many nearby, and one that I could feel strongest. Soft and hard all at once. Old and yet somehow young. This bond reminded me of a violent Christmas. Frighteningly beautiful, thrilling and exciting, it always made my breath catch and my pulse race when I focused on it. _Eric._ I _knew_ it was Eric, but it confused me since the bond I'd not known I had with him still seemed to be present.

I could feel Andre too, but he was far away. I shivered, feeling him inside me was the most disturbing thing I can imagine. It made me queasy. His signal, for lack of a better term, was not near as strong as Eric's. Andre was not a young vampire, I could tell by the power I felt in my blood, but he wasn't as old as Eric.

Why hadn't my bond with Eric severed? I'd had Andre's blood more than three times. Four or five, possibly more, I thought, frowning. Andre had... he'd had my blood, hadn't he? He was a vampire, and I'd bled a whole lot, on his hands, his feet, his clothes. The evidence was plain as day on the floor beneath me. But I didn't remember him drinking it, and unless he'd done it while I was passed out, I knew he hadn't bitten me.

I wasn't bound to Andre. It was the only conclusion that made sense. I was, however, still bonded to Eric, and that was a glimmer of hope that I so desperately needed.

I probably should've been pissed that Eric hadn't told me what our third blood exchange would do, and maybe I would be later. Right then, I was grateful for it. If I couldn't find him, then I couldn't save him. Since it was daylight, Eric, big and bad as he was, definitely needed saving.

If I was to escape, no one would be left behind to suffer at the Queen's hand. She'd be pissed, _more_ than pissed, and her wrath would be deadly. Not Eric, and certainly not Tara would survive it.

I concentrated as hard as I could, tried to get a read on the people inside the structure I was being held in. It felt a lot larger than a house, though it was hard to tell for certain.

"So many," I whispered, feeling the hundreds of human minds swirling around me.

And there _were_ hundreds of them, my only comfort was that most of them were glamoured. Sad that it was a comfort, but it was. I found Tara after about five minutes, she was in the room with Andre. _Shit._

Getting to her was going to be hardest. Trying to wake Eric enough so that he could move was going to be impossible. Escaping the Queen's castle, or whatever the fuck this was, was a pipe dream, especially considering even if I _did_ accomplish it, I had no means of transportation to get the hell out of Dodge. I was in New Orleans, four hours or so away from Bon Temps. Things would be easier if I was a teleporter instead of a telepath.

Was I still going to go through with it?

Abso-fucking-lutely.

Thinking about my impossible task ahead made me think about how I'd gotten there in the first place. Hadley. I knot formed in my chest as I thought about her. Had she betrayed me so easily, or was it just a matter of wrong place, wrong time? Had she sold me out to save herself in some way? I think I could forgive that. Was she dead?

That was the crux of my problem. If Hadley was alive, then I... well, I didn't _owe_ it to her to save her sorry ass, no matter the circumstances. But I couldn't just leave her to rot. Even as I contemplated doing exactly that, I knew I wouldn't. _Double shit._

I searched for her mentally but came up with nothing. If she was in the house then I couldn't recognize her brain signature, or she wasn't human anymore. Therefore, she wasn't my problem, right? Except... I was saving Eric.

_Damn it all to hell and back._ Why couldn't I just be content with saving my own ass? I'd be lucky if I could achieve that in itself. Tack on three others, one of which was a vampire, the other humans, or maybe not. It would be a damn miracle if I got us out alive.

There were a hundred humans, give or take a dozen or so, milling about in various parts. Some were asleep, most were glamoured. I didn't foresee the humans being a problem. The guards on the other hand...

Sixteen, I counted, all of them shifters or Weres. I couldn't differentiate that easily. I just knew they were other. Most of them wouldn't be a problem, since they were guarding the Queen as prisoners for one reason or another. I latched onto a brain or two, knowing instantly that Sophie-Anne had entire families as prisoner and at her whim.

One particular man, James I gathered from his mind, guarded and protected the queen so she wouldn't kill his family. His daughter was seven, glamoured, and being kept in a room near the kitchens with his pregnant wife. _Triple fucking shit._

I could not save everyone unless I killed the Queen. Andre too. Possibly Bill. Though he was definitely on the lesser end of my problems, much as I wanted to kill him.

Three vampires against one telepathic human. The odds were stacked against me. Forget underdog, I was a lost cause.

I'm sure you know me well enough by now to realize that wasn't going to stop me.

Fight or die. Flee or be killed. I stayed here and rot away piece by excruciating piece, or I left and lived. There was only one option. I was going to kill them all. Andre first, then Sophie-Anne. Bill was the least of my worries, so he would be last. _If_ I finished the others.

I braced myself, tugged on my chains. I took a dozen deep breaths, trying to prepare myself for the pain. No guards were nearby. It was now or never. My eyes flicked around the room. I needed a weapon. Once I got myself free, I would need to move fast.

A shiny glint of something caught my eye from below. My smile was purely wicked. There, in my puddle of drying blood, was my dagger. Andre had dropped it at some point in time, preferring to use his bare hands. I supposed he'd forgotten about it. Either that or he'd assumed I had no chance at reaching it.

Egotistical, arrogant, and more importantly, _ignorant_ vampire. He didn't know who he was dealing with. They'd underestimated me from the beginning.

I turned my head, opened my mouth and dug my teeth into my shoulder. The meat of my muscle would muffle any sound I made. The bite would help me focus on something other than the pain in my hands.

I gave a hard yank, something snapped and I whimpered. Almost there. Almost there. I closed my eyes, inhaled through my nose, and pulled with all of my weight until I felt my hand rip free. I sobbed against my own shoulder, tears rolling down my cheeks. I felt the blood on my wrist, wiggled my fingers and cried out again.

Something in my wrist had broken too, along with the knuckle of my thumb. I refused to look at it. If I didn't look at it, then I couldn't see how bad it was. Eyes often made things worse. Instead, I focused on my breathing, rapid and short, but I was breathing. I also had one arm loose. Now, I just had to make it through one more. One more.

Unfortunately, as soon as I felt my knuckle crack, the manacle digging painfully into my skin, I screamed and passed out from the pain. Sometimes, when it's just too much, your body shuts down. I think I would have been able to stay conscious through breaking both my wrists if it weren't for the night before. That had been a trauma of its own, and obviously my body hadn't recovered as much as I'd have liked.

When I came to, my first hand had healed completely. Maybe it was a little stiff, but I could use it just fine. The sun was also lower in the sky, but I still had time left. All good news. Bad news was that my second hand, which I'd broken, at least a little, was healed as well. I was going to have to break it again.

There's really no preparing yourself for it; I'd learned that the first time. After a series of short, huffing breaths, I stretched my fingers and tugged. Hard. As soon as my hand came free, I was falling to the floor, catching myself, barely, on my good hand.

Thirty seconds, and a whole lot of internal cursing later, I was untangling the chains around my ankles, cradling my injured arm, and crying silently. Once I was free, I collapsed to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, and I scrambled immediately away from my bloody mess on the otherwise pristine floor. Bloody footprints led to the door, two sets, indicating which way my attackers had gone.

Part of me raged at the sight, needing to instantly seek them out and slay them into bits of blood and vampire flesh. The other part of me, the human part of me, was in a panic. I was clear enough of mind to recognize that.

_What the hell do I do now?_

I willed myself calm, closing my eyes and breathing deep into my center. _Panic later_, I told myself. _Act now_, I urged. _Act now. Panic later. Act now. Panic later._

I stood, opening my eyes in the same breath, and walked over to retrieve my knife. When I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror hung directly behind where I'd been hanging, I cringed. "Jesus," I whispered.

What remained of my clothes stuck in bloody strips to my body. Not much was covered, considering all Andre had sliced and diced. My panties looked like they were the only thing salvageable, and even those were soaked in my blood.

I stripped out of the scraps, knocking loose pieces to the floor. I winced when I bumped my hand a little too hard. It was healing, but not near fast enough. I glanced in the mirror, frowning. I was going to stick out like a sore thumb. I looked like a pinup for _Vampire Playboy_.

Naked and covered in blood and gore.

This would not do. I checked around the mostly empty room. No water. Not even a sink, so a hot shower was out of the question. There was... I jogged across the room, picking up the cloth that had been used to cover Eric.

Dried blood and bits of flesh were stuck to one side. It turned my stomach when I thought about it being Eric's, but it was better than the other option. Which was nothing. Buck naked gal, covered in blood, stalking around the Queen's house? That wouldn't go unnoticed.

I wrapped the ugly table cloth around me, gagging a little when I put Eric's guts against my own macabre mess. Then I tied it over one shoulder like some red and gold toga, and glanced down at myself. I shook my head. It would have to do.

After making sure the coast was still clear, I opened the big, heavy door and walked out into the hall.

Huge hall, I might add. It went on forever, but at least there was only one direction I could go. Doors lined each side. They'd kept me on the end. The end with all the windows. Like a sunroom or something. I wasn't sure why, but I figured it had something to do with me being so exposed.

If that was true, then Sophie-Anne had been preparing for the possibility of Eric trying to come in and rescue me. If he could tell I was here, that is. Last I'd seen of him, he'd been unconscious and wrapped in silver. He wasn't about to do any rescuing, even if he wanted to.

What did all that mean to me?

Well, it meant that a vampire _could_ possibly be awake during the day. Which meant I had a better chance of getting Eric out. Lord knows I couldn't carry that big bastard, no matter how strong I was. It was a good sign. At least _I_ was viewing it as such.

Too many signs for me to ignore, encouraging me that I was on the right path. My dagger, dropped right there in the floor for me. The blood bond with Eric, not broken, because Andre had been absentminded enough to not drink enough of my blood. This was what I was destined to do. When my Gran had been killed in that gas station parking lot two years ago, I'd survived to live for this moment.

I took off down the hall, sticking close to the wall. I flexed my fingers. The right was fine, no stiffness at all. The left was healed, but my thumb popped every time I tried to make a fist. It hadn't mended completely, but I could use it.

I sought out the one brain I'd latched onto a little while back. Face to face with James, seeing the images of his pregnant wife and little curly-haired daughter, made it a whole lot harder to make him the promises I wasn't sure I could keep.

He put a hand on his weapon as soon as he saw me coming.

"Please don't do that," I said, hands in the air.

"Stop where you are, Miss." His hand remained on the gun at his side, but at least he didn't draw it.

I took one more step and stopped. "I'm here to help."

He looked me up and down, thinking I looked like dinner. He was more right than wrong. "What cha gonna do with that?"

His dark brown eyes stayed locked on the dagger in my right hand. A little of my blood had dried on the blade. I would put his age at around forty, not much older. He was a big guy, strong too from the size of his shoulders and thighs. I'd taken down bigger, but those kind of guys didn't go down easily. We'd make noise. A lot of it. I had to keep that from happening.

"I'm a friend of Maggie's," I lied.

His face went hard, his eyes violent. He did pull his gun then. "What have you done to her?"

I took another step closer, hands still where he could see them. "Nothing. I swear. I'm here to... I'm here to save her. I'm here to kill the Queen."

He laughed, surprising me. "You're crazy, lady. No one kills the Queen." He raised his arm and pointed the gun at my chest.

"James, please," I whispered.

"How do you know my name?" he demanded.

Instead of answering, I told him of my plan. Asked him to help. It was a wonder he believed me. Desperation would make a person do anything, I thought. Me included. And James was desperate to get his family out alive, out from under the Queen's hand and her control.

Next, I went for Eric. I needed him awake, and if he could help me with the rest of my very faulty plan, then maybe, _just maybe_, it would work. James cleared the way, as agreed. The door to the room he was being held in was unguarded as I approached.

I very carefully opened the door and walked inside.

Eric was still on that table, strapped down with the silver. I'd expected it, but the sight still left me breathless. He looked deader than dead. He also didn't wake up.

After moving the chains aside, pulling more and more bits of his flesh with each of them, I started to shake him. "Eric, can you hear me? Eric?"

I shook him harder, running my hands over his skin as gently as I could. If there was more silver hiding somewhere, I needed to find it. There was nothing.

"Damn it, Eric, don't play dead on me now," I whisper-yelled, shaking him hard enough the table rattled. "Wake the fuck up. Wake up."

Not even a twitch.

"Damn you," I cursed, dropping my arms to my side. Maybe he needed... I took my dagger, sliced into my palm, and pressed my hand to his mouth. "Drink. Come on. Drink."

When the wound stopped bleeding, I did it again, but he made no move to swallow. My blood just oozed into his mouth, coating his lips in bright red. I realized then I was crying. "Please," I begged.

I punched him, climbing on top of the table to straddle him. "Wake up." _Punch._ "Wake up." _Slap._ I punched him as hard as I could, knocking his head from side to side as I took turns with each fist. "Damn you, wake up," I sobbed. "I need you."

Collapsing against his chest, bare and still bloody from the silver chains, I cried in silent heaves. My panic was rising again, and I'd wasted enough time as it was. Eric wasn't going to wake up. He may as well have been dead. No breath, no pulse, no nothing. Not even a blink.

I crawled off, slapping him once more for the heck of it. "Fine," I said, tightening my hold on my knife. "I'll do it myself," I told him. I narrowed my eyes and stabbed a finger in his chest. "But when this is all finished, when I've saved your sorry ass, you ARE giving me a raise. I don't get paid enough for this shit."

Then I left. It hurt, having to leave him behind. It hurt more not having anyone to help me. But I hadn't made it this far, I hadn't survived for this long, for me to go turning back now. I looked deep inside, located that foreign plague of his blood buried within me, and went for Andre next.

James was there, as he promised me he would be. I could also tell from his thoughts that he had a car waiting out front, full of gas and ready for me to make my escape. _If_ I escaped. I still had a lot to do.

"Better hurry, Miss," he said as I came around the corner. I'd been delayed by having to hide in one of the rooms when a few human women walked past. All but one had been glamoured, but I couldn't take a chance on that one screaming her head off at the sight of me. "Not much time left."

"I know," I said, heaving a sigh. "Thanks for this." I patted his arm as I went for the door. He was a lion. A Werelion. _Incredible._ "I owe you big time." Hopefully he'd take a nice, juicy steak as form of payment. I didn't have much to offer a lion.

"Just get my family out alive," he said, giving me a stern look, "And we'll call it even." I swallowed hard, nodded, and let myself inside Andre's room. If I failed, I'd have more than just a Werelion on my ass.

It was easier than I expected, staking Andre. He was as dead as Eric was, and didn't hear me approach. He didn't stir in the least when I pressed the tip of my dagger over his heart. Not even a peep when I leaned against it and slid it deep into his chest.

His eyes, however, did open. At the last second of his existence, it was my face he saw, and I felt satisfied by that fact. If I'd had my choice, I would've made him suffer, but this was best. His flesh turned black and porous as it rotted, and then, finally, he was dust.

"Where the fuck am I?"

Tara. _Oh, God._ I'd forgotten about Tara. "Shh," I said, moving to where she could see me. She flinched back, and I remembered I didn't exactly look like myself. "Please be quiet."

"Sookie? What the fuck? What _the_ fuck?"

I hadn't exactly forgotten her, but I hadn't thought about how she would react once I'd staked Andre. I hadn't planned for her to panic. Her glamour had been broken. "It's okay. You're going to be alright now." _I hope._ "Stay here. Promise me you'll stay here."

Her face was tight with fear. Her hands shook as I took them in mine. "What the hell is going on?"

I shook my head. "Later, Tara. I'll tell you all about it later."

She reached out and touched my face, patting around as if to feel that I was real. It was then that I realized she couldn't see as well as I could in the dark. I'd had vampire blood, so I could see fine. Great even. My skin, normally just tan and clear, had that iridescent glow of a vampire. "Where the hell am I?"

"New Orleans."

"New Orleans – "

She shrieked, but I quickly covered her mouth. "Shh. Please, Tara. Trust me. Stay here. Stay quiet. I'll be back for you. Promise me."

She nodded and I uncovered her mouth. "Where are you going?"

Now, I smiled. "I'm going to kill the Queen."

It took me a little longer to get Tara calm enough that I could leave. I'd wasted more time, but at least I knew Tara was safe. For the moment. I squared my shoulders, wiping Andre's blood off my blade and onto the inside of my make-shift dress.

I marched out into the hall, feeling more confident by the second. James, who was hot on my heels, had to go and rain on my parade. "Miss?"

"Sookie," I said, tossing him a glance over my shoulder. I slowed as I realized I had no fucking clue where I was going.

James walked passed, moving quickly. "Look," he pointed to the window. "Your time is almost out."

I jerked my head to where he pointed, cursing aloud and picking up my pace. "Take me. Get me there now."

The sun had almost set, the bright light of day having faded to practically nothing. Now it was night's turn to rule. James had been wrong. My time wasn't almost out, it had just expired. We ran anyway, passing many people in the halls. I didn't care to check if they were glamoured. I was out of time for such luxury.

If they screamed and the guards came down on me, I was dead. If I did not kill Sophie-Anne, I was dead, as were many others. There wasn't an outcome that had me surviving unless I killed the queen.

Minutes, though it was probably only seconds later, we were at the queen's room. Three stood guard at her door. James took out two, while I knocked out the other. They weren't dead, but at least I had a few seconds to do what I'd come to do. I ran inside.

Racing forward, I had my hand extended, ready to strike. Sophie-Anne was just lying there, completely youthful and innocent looking in her rest. Her face, child-like before, looked plain infantile in her slumber, and my steps faltered.

What was I doing?

In my blood, somewhere in my bones almost, I felt Eric rise and my resolve was renewed. There was no other choice. How she had survived this long, ruling as she did, enslaving people to serve her, was beyond my understanding. She did not deserve the kingdom, vampiredom? of Louisiana. She did not deserve the life she lived.

She had to die.

I moved.

I inhaled.

Exhaled.

Three steps, and I was hovering above her. I felt my pulse, like galloping horses beneath my ribs. The guards were coming to. My eyes flicked to them. My time was now. _Now. Now. Now._

I lunged.

Sophie-Anne's eyes shot open. Her mouth spread into a grin, fangs long and threatening. I screamed, bringing my dagger down.

A flash of silver caught my eye.

She was armed.

Time slowed.

_Thump. Thump._

The queen was fast. Faster than me.

A knife pierced my chest.

I had time to say, "Eric," before I was falling onto the bed, collapsing against Sophie-Anne. He was near. I could hear him, _feel_ him. He'd taken out one of the queens guards again.

Her eyes met mine, pleasure lit them. Satisfaction, surprise turned to fear, and then a sudden horrible realization. She looked down at her chest to where my weapon was buried to the hilt, and then I was lying in a pile of vampire dust. I coughed, blood sputtered out. Maybe she'd taken me down, but I was taking her with me.

Then Eric was there, and he was flipping me over like a rag doll. I felt cold. Numb. No pain. This was death. _This_ was death.

"Sookie, look at me. Sookie." I heard him call, but it was hard to focus my eyes. "Fuck."

She'd punctured a lung, maybe more. I couldn't breathe. "Dying," I tried to say as I found his beautiful face. More blood came from between my lips.

"I can't..." His face was tight, his eyes... His eyes told me the truth. "There's no other way."

I met his stare, blinking against tears I couldn't feel, only see. The world warbled sideways. I felt my heart thump an irregular staccato. I think she'd pierced my heart, too. "Killed her," I sputtered, coughing blood onto Eric's hands.

"Yes," he said tightly. "But at what cost?"

I reached up, touched his face. Too many had suffered at that horrible queen's hand. Too many held, and not by their choice, within these awful walls. So many prisoners, so many who'd been taken from their family. Thought missing or worse: dead. Now they were... "Free," I said. Now _he_ was free.

His hands hovered helplessly over me; his eyes followed their same worried path. I coughed, choking on my blood. "It's in your heart," he confirmed. "In your lung. If I remove it..." his blue eyes met mine, and they were pleading. "You'll bleed out." He wanted me to tell him what to do. "You will die. I cannot save you. Not like before."

I choked, more blood covering me and the bed. Sophie-Anne's ashes felt thick beneath me. We'd share a death spot. I met Eric's eyes, not able to speak, not anymore. There was no air left in my lungs. We hadn't talked about this, not really, but I knew what he was saying. He could not save me. Unless I wanted to become a vampire, he could not save me.

I pleaded with my eyes, begged him to understand, to read my desire in them. _Know me. Know me_, I thought. Eric knew me better than most, deeper than anyone, he had to know what I wanted. I caught a something in the corner of his eye, glistening and red. He was crying.

My heart thumped, sluggish.

_Thump._

_Thump._

My life did not flash before my eyes, but I remembered something my Gran had told me. Long ago, she'd said, "You'll die alone, ain't nothing you can do about that." I remember thinking that was the saddest thing in the world. But then she'd went on, and it didn't seem so sad after that.

"If you're lucky, if you're _really_ lucky, you'll know you're _not_ alone. Maybe there will be someone there to hold your hand, and when you go, you'll know that a piece of you remains behind. With everyone you love. With everyone you care for. You'll die, but a part of you will live on forever. You will be immortal."

I thought it was strangely fitting, as I stared into Eric's blue eyes, that I would remember her words then. At my last breath, at the moment my life was ending, I thought it damn apropos that he was there with me. I was glad it was him. Very glad indeed.

A gurgle sounded from my mouth. My heart thumped once more.

Stopped.

It did not beat again.

**A/N: Jesus. This was a really hard chapter to write. An even harder ending to write. I will be waiting on pins and needles until I hear from you. Fuck, even as I'm reading it through for the millionth time, I'd hate me. Sorry.**

**Until next time...**

**KISSES!**


	22. And Then There Was Life

**A/N: Some of you thought I was done. And you didn't come after me with pitchforks and threats of violence. Not done yet, but almost. Maybe 2 more after this chapter. **

**Thank you SO very much for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. Despite the ending being so very sad, it was one of my favorite chapters I've ever written for anything, so I'm thrilled to death that you all enjoyed it as much as you did. Still, if I were you, I would have been all about the violence and pitchforks. **

**Special thanks: This one is not as long as the last one, but it's still 16 pages. Thanks to EtheHunter for reading through it and correcting my many mistakes. Because I am Mrs. Fiddle McFiddleston, I tweaked it a bit before posting, so forgive any remaining blunders.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris is boss, you all know that by now, I'm sure.**

**Previously...**

"_Yes," he said tightly. "But at what cost?"_

_I reached up, touched his face. Too many had suffered at that horrible queen's hand. Too many held, and not by their choice, within these awful walls. So many prisoners, so many who'd been taken from their family. Thought missing or worse: dead. Now they were... "Free," I said. Now he was free._

_His hands hovered helplessly over me; his eyes followed their same worried path. I coughed, choking on my blood. "It's in your heart," he confirmed. "In your lung. If I remove it..." his blue eyes met mine, and they were pleading. "You'll bleed out." He wanted me to tell him what to do. "You will die. I cannot save you. Not like before."_

_I choked, more blood covering me and the bed. Sophie-Anne's ashes felt thick beneath me. We'd share a death spot. I met Eric's eyes, not able to speak, not anymore. There was no air left in my lungs. We hadn't talked about this, not really, but I knew what he was saying. He could not save me. Unless I wanted to become a vampire, he could not save me._

_I pleaded with my eyes, begged him to understand, to read my desire in them. Know me. Know me, I thought. Eric knew me better than most, deeper than anyone, he had to know what I wanted. I caught a something in the corner of his eye, glistening and red. He was crying._

_My heart thumped, sluggish._

_Thump._

_Thump._

_My life did not flash before my eyes, but I remembered something my Gran had told me. Long ago, she'd said, "You'll die alone, ain't nothing you can do about that." I remember thinking that was the saddest thing in the world. But then she'd went on, and it didn't seem so sad after that. _

"_If you're lucky, if you're really lucky, you'll know you're not alone. Maybe there will be someone there to hold your hand, and when you go, you'll know that a piece of you remains behind. With everyone you love. With everyone you care for. You'll die, but a part of you will live on forever. You will be immortal."_

_I thought it was strangely fitting, as I stared into Eric's blue eyes, that I would remember her words then. At my last breath, at the moment my life was ending, I thought it damn apropos that he was there with me. I was glad it was him. Very glad indeed._

_A gurgle sounded from my mouth. My heart thumped once more._

_Stopped._

_It did not beat again._

**SPOV**

As it turns out, I should've interpreted my nightmares quite literally.

Only I would have dreams of death and life in the form of night and day. It was significant, if I thought about it. All my life had led up to this point. My death. As I suppose everyone else's does. Though my ending is perhaps a bit more violent than some.

My telepathy, a born curse, was only the beginning. Isolating me from others, as it had, was its own type of conditioning. Training me and my mind – not unlike how my fighting was conditioning for my body – to prepare me for what was to come. Preparing me for the things I'd have to see. Deal with. Accept and survive.

From a young age, I'd suffered loss. My mother and father. My brother. My Grandfather and Grandmother. My aunt on my mother's side, who I'd never really gotten to know. I'd grown up, in a lot of ways, alone.

There'd also been Maudette and Dawn. My close friend, Lafayette. Their blood and death right in my backyard, on my hands. My conscience.

Lafayette's boyfriend, Phillip. My attacker, who Bill had sent to frighten me. Andre, who'd tortured and bled me. The Queen, Sophie-Anne, who had tormented, imprisoned and done far worse to many. All preparation for what was to come of my fate.

The last of those deaths had been by my own hand. My own blade. A blade I'd had custom made for those who meant to harm me. Ten – hell, even five – years ago, I doubt I would have been ready to commit murder in cold blood.

It _is_ what I'd done, and I had no qualms with admitting to that, not even to myself. I did what I had to do to survive. Someone had once said that to me. Now, it made sense. I'd murdered them all, and I'd done it without batting an eyelash. Without flinching. Without remorse. Because I wanted to live.

If you haven't noticed a pattern, yet, let me point it out for you.

All these deaths, all of their ends had been met at night. Even my Gran, who'd been killed just as the sun was setting, and Dawn, who'd been murdered just before the sun arose. Night was when death surrounded me. Night was when I survived.

But in order for me to live, I had to die first.

Even before I became a vampire, my death would have always been with the sun. It would have been my end, had I not made the choice I did. Now, it would be my final end, should I so choose it. Once I could look back on it with fresh, new eyes, it was as clear as day. A choice between light and darkness. Not choosing would mean my death, because there was always a choice that had to be made. I could not have it all. No one could.

Choosing darkness meant I chose life. It was where my future, my life, was destined to go. Always had been. Only Eric could have known what I would have chosen. Only he could have been there with me, in the end.

And in the beginning of my new life.

Waking up a vampire was not like waking up as a human.

As a human, I awoke groggy and unfocused. It took time for me to wake up, adjust from dreams to reality. Sometimes I had to shake away my dreams, remind myself that they were _only_ dreams, and that those things had not actually happened. My joints popped, my neck sometimes ached. Movements were jerky, sluggish. Coffee helped, but only so much.

Waking as a vampire was a totally different experience. One minute there was nothing. Within the next breath... _everything_. Light. Sound. Scents. My skin felt alive and electric, prickly as if I'd just stuck my finger in a light socket.

When I inhaled, I could taste the world on my tongue. Cinnamon, cloves. Fresh cut grass. Blood. Dust. Cotton. The wind. Warmth, like a fire burned months before, was heavy in the air. I opened my eyes, sat up. There'd be no stretching for me, ever again.

It was as if one moment I was dead, no dreams, no scents, no sound, no... nothing. And in the next moment, I was born anew and _everything_ came alive with a rush, a violent, thrilling wave of awareness. There was no dreaming for a vampire either.

Without knowing or remembering exactly how, I knew instinctively I _was_ a vampire.

I licked my lips and could taste myself on my tongue. I'd never even known I had a taste. Everything was incredible. I couldn't decide if I should laugh or cry.

Blinking rapidly, I looked around the room. When I realized I was lying in the same exact spot I'd died in, I was instantly on the other side of the room. Just like that. As if I'd willed myself over there. "Holy fuck."

No light shone in the room, but I could see with perfect clarity. All my life I'd seen one world, and now I saw another. The late Sophie-Anne's bed was royal blues and emerald greens. The sheets were in slight disarray, but only on the spot I'd been resting. They weren't covered in dust and blood, I noted, so they must've been changed. I could see tiny flaws in the obviously expensive bedding.

I closed my eyes, focused on my ears. Everything felt so amazing, so intense, it was almost too much to bear all at once. I heard... "Eric?" Felt him. Like a rush of wind, he was there. This time though, I could track his movement. "You're here." I wanted to throw myself in his arms.

He hesitated at the connecting door. There was an adjoining room I hadn't noticed before, three feet away from me. Eric's eyes were downcast, though he stared straight at me. He looked apologetic, strangely unsure. "I did not expect you up so soon."

So many questions I wanted to ask. There were so many answers I needed. I almost couldn't think. "You're healed," is what I said, holding out my hands as if to touch him. I was afraid. Of him. Of me. Of everything.

He took one step closer. "I am."

I felt tears roll down my face. "I could not wake you." Again, as soon as I'd thought it, I was wrapping my arms around him, nuzzling my face against his bare chest. "You looked dead." I held tight to him, closing my eyes. I'd never smelled anything as delicious.

I felt his arms fold tentatively around me and sighed in content. "Sookie?"

I jerked back, wiping at my eyes. "Where's Tara? I need to see her. What has happened? How long have I been out?"

"Shh," he soothed, taking me by the arm and leading me back over to the bed. I think the fact that I was so overwhelmed made me go willingly. We sat down together. "Wait just a minute. The sun has not set yet."

"What?" My eyes shot to his. "Why are you up? Why am I? Is that bad?" Was something wrong with me?

"No. No." Eric took my hands in his, met my eyes. "It is minutes until sundown. It's not unusual for me to rise before the sun sets, on occasion." I focused on our hands, clasped together. His skin felt like silk, warm and velvety against mine. His skin had never felt warm before. "Sookie?'

"Yes." I stroked his thumb with mine.

"Do you know what has happened?"

"I died. You saved me." I stroked up the length of his arm, feeling the tiny hairs beneath my palms. Something throbbed in the roof of my mouth.

"Yes, but..." he paused, and I felt the stiffness of his body all the way down to the tips of his fingers. "Do you know how?"

"You made me," I whispered, tilting my head. Eric's heart didn't beat, but I could see his blood in his veins, like tiny rivers just under his skin. Another throb, more like a pulse, beat against my gums. "I am a vampire."

"You know I..." he cleared his throat. "I did what I had to do," he continued stiffly. "There was no other choice. I know you said you didn't – "

I put my hand over his mouth. "Shh." He thought I was mad at him. "I know." His lips were incredibly soft. I traced one. Then the other. Licked my lips.

I felt him smile beneath my fingers. "You're not trying to strangle me."

I shook my head, smiling, met his eyes. Not yet. "I did not want to die."

"No?"

"No," I said, leaning closer. I moistened my lips. His eyes shone bright and blue with splashes of gray and green. Even his pupils had sparks of fire within them. Wow. "I had to kill her. It was the only way."

Another thought hit me in the same instant. "Sookie," Eric whispered, his lips parting for mine to taste.

I wanted to kiss him, more than kiss him, but knew that I shouldn't. My body was there, my mind wasn't. I pushed at his chest. "Oh, God," I cried, horrified. "Eric. Don't. We can't do this."

He pulled back, met my eyes. "Do what?" he replied.

"You made me, Eric."

"I know."

"You're my..." maker just didn't fit right in my mouth, and it wasn't the word my mind had locked on either. "You're my father. Oh, God. We can't do this, Eric. You're like my dad!" The thought was just...eww.

Eric chuckled, grasping my face as I tried to stand. I needed distance. "Sookie. Don't run away from me. I'm not your father. It's not the same. Damn it, woman. Stop." He grabbed my arms and tugged me hard.

I sat down and stopped struggling; his weight sent me tumbling backwards. I collapsed with his hands pinning mine above my head. "How is it not the same?" I asked, frantic. I still wanted him, his lips so close to mine, even with the thought of him being my father, my body ached for him. It wasn't right. "It's not right. We shouldn't do this."

"Oh," Eric groaned, pressing his hips hard against my thigh. Even through his pants, I could tell he was aching too. "We _are_ doing this." The light in his eyes promised we wouldn't be done for a long time either. My traitorous body quivered at the thought. "True," he went on, "I will guide you, teach you the ways in your new life."

"And how is that not like a father?" I asked, trying not to gasp. Damn, this was wrong, so wrong. To want him so badly, to respond to his body so fully. A thousand other things were more pressing, but it was all I could think about. Taking him inside me, him filling me, covering me, moving over me until we both shattered into a million pieces.

He smiled gently. "I did nothing to birth you, Sookie. I gave you my blood, blood that you've already had, might I remind you, and brought to you a new life with it. The genetics of you are still the same. The magic in the blood I shared with you transferred over to yours. It is a connection we will always share. Unbreakable. The feelings I have for you right now, and always, are not what a father feels for his child."

It didn't sound so bad when he put it that way. Of course he wasn't my father. I knew who that was. It seemed ridiculous that I'd even had the thought, now that I could think rationally about it. However... "Eric," I tried, still drowning in my emotions. "I never really got to know my father," I whispered, feeling oddly weak. Strange that I'd have that thought just then.

Eric captured my lips with his, and it was impossible not to return his kiss. The feelings I had for him were not childlike either. Desire. A burning, unquenchable desire. Definitely. Respect. A growing fondness, that was slowly developing into something more. Love?

It did come to mind, but I didn't think I loved him. Not yet. Maybe, one day, I would. Right now though, right now, what I felt for him, what I yearned for from him, could not be defined by a word as simple as love.

Love was not as complex as what I felt for Eric.

He pulled away slowly, dropping little kisses against my mouth and face, before finally catching my eyes with his. "I will be all you need," he promised. "A lover. A mentor. A friend." Suddenly, my throat felt thick with emotion. "We are connected, you and I, and only the true death will keep me from you."

"I don't know," I said, smiling slightly. "I'm pretty strong now." I lifted my hips, and slid a thigh under his, groaning when I felt him shift between my legs. "I bet I could keep you away if I wanted."

"You could try," Eric teased back. "But you would fail."

He kept my arms pinned above my head as he started a slow grind. I let him, because it kind of felt good to give up that much control. Let him take the wheel for a moment. I felt like I'd been driving myself to Crazytown in recent past, only I had the wrong directions. Eric knew the way.

"Eric," I moaned. Hadn't there been something else I wanted to ask?

"Later," Eric said, placing his fingers over my lips. I yanked out an arm and tugged at his neck, needing him to be closer. His hand made its way into my hair. "You died," he whispered, pulling our faces closer. "I need..."

He needed what? My eyes flicked from his lips to his eyes, back again. I hadn't taken a breath in minutes, but I felt a tightness in my chest as if I needed to. I inhaled. Gasped. My fangs pierced my lip. "Eric."

His eyes were dark and wide, his mouth opened on his last word. "Need you," he finished, licking the blood from my lip. His tongue flicked at a fang and I moaned, arching my back off the bed. I needed him more, I think.

I freed my other hand, ran them both over his shoulders, down his back, pressing closer to him as he fitted himself more securely over me. There were other, more important things I needed to be doing, worrying about. But all I could focus on was his skin. His eyes. My mind conjured up a flashing memory; Eric's eyes at the moment of my death, the desperation in them. I did need him more. I was alive. Through his eyes, I could see my death. I lived it all over.

"Please," I whispered. "Show me." Prove to me it wasn't a dream. Prove that I was really alive. For the last twenty-four hours – longer – my life had been a nightmare. I needed a reprieve. Then, whatever aftermath was awaiting me – and who the hell knew what that might be? I'd killed the queen. Her second in command – I'd deal with it after. Now. Now I just needed a kiss. His kiss. "Kiss me."

Eric smiled, touched my cheek, but he did not kiss me. There was intimacy in the way he stared at me, the way he touched me. "I expected your wrath."

And he'd probably get it. "I'm not done yet." I felt... capricious, as if one tiny thing could change my mood violently. I felt out of sorts. Out of my mind. The thrill of it vibrated in my blood, but I couldn't decide if I like it or not.

He leaned close enough that I could feel his lips against mine as he spoke. "I much prefer this." I could also feel something else, hard and heavy against my stomach. His flimsy night pants did nothing to contain it. His eyes bored into mine, but his next words were soft as feathers against my mouth. "Why couldn't you just wait for me?"

I groaned, lifting my hips against him hard enough his eyes rolled back. "I would have died."

"You _did_ die," he pointed out.

I moved my hands to touch his face. "Yes, but you were there to save me." I kissed him.

Obviously not finished, he pulled away before I could deepen the kiss. "I almost wasn't."

"Mmm," I hummed, pulling him down again. "Less talking. More kissing."

"Sookie."

I closed my eyes. I'd rather ignore him. "What?"

"Look at me." I did. "What if I had not come?"

I sighed, running my fingers through his hair. I needed to learn how to distract him better. Precious time was being wasted. "Then it would have been worth it," is all I said.

"Unacceptable," he said roughly. His fingers dug into my cheeks when he forced me to meet his eyes. "You were foolish."

I wasn't going to disagree. Still... "I did what had to be done," I said just as firmly. "You did not hear them. All these people." I shook my head. I needed to find out what happened to them, but I wanted a tiny moment of peace before then. I wanted to see, to _feel_, something beautiful. Eric just had to make it difficult. "What she did to them. Forced them to do. She had to die, Eric. That's all there is to it."

"Like hell it is," he growled. I reached between us, stroked him and that growl turned into something more fierce. "Stop that."

"Make me."

I stroked him harder, moving my body in rhythm against his. God, but I wanted him. Everything else would come later. Now, I needed this. "Sookie," he groaned, his voice wavering. "You put your life at risk."

He was a persistent fucker. I lifted up, licked his fangs. First one and then the other. He shuddered, and I moaned, feeling it with more than just my body. "And I would do it again." Even if Eric had not saved me, I still would have done it.

His body shook, and his hand moved to touch me, as if by its own accord. I arched closer, my skin throbbing with need. I could feel his energy, the life of him, through his palm before he ever touched me. "You will never do that again."

He was mad at me. Angry. Furious even. Instantly, I knew what the problem was. "And if I do?"

Eric's fiery eyes met mine. "Then I will kill you myself."

"Sweetheart," I purred, "But I'm already dead."

"Yes," he snarled. "Look what your foolishness has cost you. Look what I was forced to do to you."

I hesitated, feeling strangely uncertain. "Do you not like me now?" And then just as suddenly, I was angry, too. Enraged. I was a violent storm of emotion. "So, I was good enough for you as a human, but I'm not good enough for you now. Are you pissed because you can't feed from me anymore? Am I so ugly to you now? I thought you wanted me to be a vampire."

I punched at his chest, enjoying his grunt of pain. "Yes. No. I don't know," he stuttered, placing a calming hand on my stomach. I stopped hitting him, but put my hands on his chest to hold him back. I met his stare. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "I did not wish it to happen like this."

"Well," I scoffed, "It did. Do you think I wanted this? Do you think I wanted to die? You know me better than that."

"Which is what frightens me," he admitted softly. "You wished to live, but did you wish it for eternity?" Tough question.

That _is_ what I had now. "I don't know." I _was_ glad he'd saved me, because I was not ready to die.

I leaned up to kiss his concerned face, his chin, both cheeks, and then finally his lips. "Sookie."

"Shh." I moved my hands to his pants, slipped them over his ass. "Talk later."

"You were foolhardy," he said, his voice faltering as his pants slid lower and his erection fell free. "You should have waited. Planned your attack – "

"Shut up," I said, using my strength and speed to flip him over. I didn't want to think about all that now. All my mistakes. Everything I'd done wrong. I could analyze it a hundred different ways, change a thousand things I did, the outcome would still be the same. The queen would still be dead.

"No. Now," Eric growled, gripping my hips. I ripped my gown over my head and straddled him. His eyes locked on my breasts as they bounced free. "Fuck. Sookie."

"Do you not want me now?" I asked, taking him in my hand again. How fortunate that I wasn't wearing underwear. I moved to slide myself against him as I stroked him. "Am I not beautiful? I look like you." My skin glowed, soft lavender and golds, in the darkness. I moaned at the sight of us moving together. His hips lifted in rhythm with mine.

"You are..." he paused, moving his hands from my hips to my breasts, then up to my face. "Of course I want you." His eyes roamed, making my skin feel like fire, though I knew it wasn't warming. "You are devastating," he finished finally.

I smiled. "Then what is the problem?"

I moved with more purpose, riding hard against my hand and the hard length of him. Eric made noises, but so did I. One slight miscalculation and he'd slide right inside me. I moaned loudly at the thought.

"We should... should discuss this. Fuck. Stop that. I cannot think."

I laughed, an airy erotic sound. Eric noticed, his eyes dilating further. "What was it you once said to me? If you need to think, I'm not doing something right?"

He smirked. "That was different."

"How so?" I asked, changing my angle. I dropped my arms to lean over him, using my weight to provide the friction I sought. I was on the verge of orgasm, and Eric still wouldn't shut up. "Tell me," I said breathlessly, "What makes that so different?"

His eyes rolled as I continued my grind, and he made a strange noise, not unlike a whimper. "It just is," he replied through his teeth.

I shifted slightly, angling my hips just so. Eric stared at my breasts as they swayed in his face. His tongue darted out, moistening his lips. "Fine," I said roughly. "You want to talk?"

His hesitation was brief, but it was there. I nearly smiled, victorious. "Yes."

"Fine," I groaned on my upstroke, tensing. I came down hard, taking him within in one smooth move. "God, yes," I cried out, my eyes rolling. "Let's talk about..." God, but he felt good. "Let's talk about how you lied to me."

"Sookie. Fuck," he growled. "What did you say? I did no such thing."

I continued to move, riding him hard but slow. "You did. Oh, fuck, you did." I made a circle with my hips as I went down, until I could feel him resting deep against my cervix. "You made a blood bond with me."

"How did you...?" He looked properly shocked that I knew, which quickly schooled into something hard and unreadable. "I did not think about it at the time."

I lifted slowly. "Liar." I slammed back down.

"Damn you, woman." I did it again, enjoying as his hands gripped my thighs like a vise to still me. I was stronger. Not than him, but I was strong enough to break his hold and do it once more. "Stop that."

"Don't want to talk about that, huh?"

"I thought," he stopped, groaning deep inside his throat when I shoved my tongue in his mouth.

I pulled back. "You thought what?"

"That you," he paused when I ran my tongue down his neck, followed by my fangs. I felt an ache in my stomach, not so unlike hunger, but it felt stronger. Ravenous. "I thought you would fight me."

"I would have," I answered against his skin.

"But you needed my strength. You needed my blood."

Which was why he'd done the right thing. "I'm not mad at you," I said, moving more slowly, lazily. Just feeling him there, deep inside, was enough. I raised a hand to touch his face, trace his puckering mouth.

It turned into a soft smile. "Right _now_."

"Ever," I said seriously, placing one finger over his lips. At least not for that. It was inevitable that Eric and I would butt heads on many things in the future. "I would not have survived the night if I had not taken your blood."

He looked skeptical. "There is always a calm before the storm."

"I'm not mad at you," I whispered, moving my hips against him. Eric growled, his fangs glistening in the dark. I locked gazes with him. I needed him to know I was telling the truth. "I'm not mad at you for making me a vampire either."

When he moved his hand, sliding it over my ass and low enough to cup me from below, guided my movements, I knew he believed me. Or, if nothing else, he was ready to stop arguing about it. "Swear it," he growled, lifting to stare into my eyes. His nose brushed against mine. "Swear it."

"I swear. I'm not mad." I moved again, and he lifted his hips to meet my thrust. Moaning loudly, I said, "You did the right thing."

It seemed to be exactly what he needed to hear because suddenly I found myself beneath him and he was ramming into me so hard I went blind for a moment. "Sookie. Fuck, Sookie," Eric grunted with each of his thrusts.

"Finally. God, I thought you'd never shut up." I dug my nails into his back. Then did it harder when he hissed.

"Stop it."

I lifted to nip at his chin, wrapping my legs around his hips to give me leverage. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

He pulled back, I did the same. Once he entered me again, I was able to piston myself forward so he went deeper, harder. "Obviously."

I eyed his neck, licked his thick vein. My fangs ached in my mouth. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Later," he snarled. "Now. Now I am going to fuck you like I've wanted to from the beginning."

"Oh, God." My back arched, and he moved a hand to hold me in that position. Stars lit behind my eyes. "Fuck, yes. Fuck."

He shifted, pulling both of my wrists into one of his hands. I was pretty sure I could have broken his hold, but then his other hand captured my breast. He toyed with my nipple before sucking it into his mouth, between his teeth. His fangs felt sharp and inviting against my sensitive skin. An orgasm hit me like a freight train. Unrelenting, and never ending.

There was no catalyst, that I know of. One minute I was screaming in pleasure, the next I was wailing in sorrow. In fear. I punched at Eric but he kept at his punishing pace. What was wrong with me? It felt like my thoughts, my emotions and fears, everything that had happened to me over the past few days and weeks was spinning out of control inside me. Like some torrential tornado that had built up a devastating and unstoppable speed.

"Eric," I called, punching him again. I used more force this time. "Eric." He grunted and pulled back, stopping to meet my stare. I'm not sure what my expression looked like to be honest. I could hardly put my finger on one emotion before I was taken over by another.

"What is the matter?"

I shook my head, unable to express myself. "You wouldn't wake up," I said, stuttering. "I shook you. I beat you. I... I gave you my blood." I reached up and grabbed his shoulders, felt my nails dig in, but I couldn't let go. I'd been tossed back to that night. It felt... It felt like only a few minutes ago. My panic had taken me over. My fear. My determination, unwavering even with the odds stacked against me. And when I'd tried to wake Eric... "I was counting on you to help me."

"Sookie. My sweet, Sookie." He ran his hands over my face, trying to soothe me, I think. Still deeply seated within me, he was unmoving. Time may have stopped ticking. "You are here," he said. "You are safe."

Was I? I didn't feel like it. I'd taken out Andre. Sophie-Anne. I hadn't made it to Bill. There wasn't time, so that meant there were still loose ends. I did not like loose ends. I clung to Eric. "I didn't kill Bill."

His face went hard, his jaw tight. If his eyes hadn't been flames already, they would've been. I could feel his rage. His shoulders felt like rocks against my hands. "He is in a room of silver, awaiting his punishment."

"Good," I nodded. Good. He deserved worse. I would kill him, too. I felt myself growl at the thought and quickly covered my mouth.

Eric smiled down at me, still caressing my face gently. "Seeing you cry as a vampire is not any easier than it was when you were human."

"I can't help it," I said. "I don't feel like me."

"You are still you, my Sookie," he whispered, leaning down to kiss me softly. "Nothing will change about that, unless you want it to. Now, you are simply _more_ you than ever before."

I gave him a shaky nod, understanding what he meant. My choices, day-to-day, would shape the kind of vampire I became. Good decisions and I could retain a small part of my humanity. Bad ones and I'd wind up just as Andre and Sophie-Anne had. Vampires were not born monsters, I can tell you that from experience, but they could become one. As could I.

Vampires and humans had that in common. Monsters came in all shapes and forms, beautiful and grotesque.

"I'm sorry," Eric said suddenly. "That I was not there to help you. My injuries – "

"Shh," I cut him off, crying once again. I tugged him down and smashed my lips against his, sobbing into our kiss.

It had hurt, beyond all reason – though I knew he should not be able to wake during the day, especially with the extent of his injuries – that he'd not been able to help me. I didn't rely on others easily, and I had, on a deep level, that night, relied on Eric being there to assist me. To be back-up, or hell, even take the lead. I'd felt lost, and I'd thought surely my plan would fail. Eric had been my only strand of hope, and he'd been dead to the world.

I continued to kiss him, deepening it until I could taste both of our blood on my tongue. I didn't forgive him for failing me, because there was nothing to forgive. It wasn't his fault, nor was it mine. I knew if the circumstances had been different, I would have been right to depend on him. His words from before replayed in my head.

"I should have been," he muttered between kisses. "You should not have had to do that alone."

I pulled him hard against me, wrapping my arms and legs tightly around him. I was strong enough that I didn't need Eric to move. I could do the work myself. I took him deep, then shifted my hips so he was barely inside, only to bring my hips down and do it all over again.

"It's alright," I cried. "I'm here... I'm only here because you came when you did."

It was the truth, and I was done talking. Maybe Eric hadn't been there before, but he'd been there when it counted. Besides, aside from getting myself stabbed in the process, I'd done alright on my own.

Eric clawed at my hip and bit my lips, taking control by rising up and slamming my back against the headboard. Apparently, Eric was done talking as well.

He had held back with me before. Like _a lot_. It was a good thing too, because I didn't think my human body would've survived what he did to me. Even if it had, I would've been recovering for a long time. I also doubted I'd ever find a lover who'd be as thorough as him, especially not in another human.

I lost count of the orgasms I had, and the ones he had as well. There were many for us both. I also lost track of time. We could've very well been locked in that room, vicious in our love-making, for days instead of hours.

We only stopped when Pam came knocking on the door. Even then it wasn't easy. As a vampire, I'd never tire, and growing tired of Eric and what our bodies felt like as one, was something I fathomed near impossible.

"Special delivery," she called from the door.

I had a feeling if I'd been alone, she would've marched right in. "Go away," I said, kissing Eric's neck. I really wanted to bite him, but I wasn't sure it would be taken well. Did vampires bite each other? I had so much to learn.

"You need to feed," Eric said, nuzzling against my hair. I felt his fangs on my neck and shivered. I definitely hoped vampires bit one another, because I sure as hell wanted him to bite me. "I should've taken care of that first."

"Come on you two," Pam nagged. "I don't have all night."

"Yes, you do," I said, laughing. "In fact, you have a lot of them."

Eric chuckled against my skin, his hands lazily stroking me. Hip to thigh, stomach and breasts. Then they slipped between my thighs again and I moaned, opening for him. So ready. Hungry. "We have matters that must be tended to."

"Later," I purred, moving into his palm, his fingers. "We have forever for everything else."

"You must eat," he argued, still not moving his hand away. "It will help to calm your mind." That would be nice, but... Eric didn't want to stop anymore than I did. I was hungry, but not enough to push him away. "We have forever to do this."

When his fingers slipped inside, my teeth bit into his shoulder, drawing blood. I lapped at it. "I'm not hungry."

"Liar." He pulled back enough to meet my eyes. His were full of mirth. I wondered what mine looked like. "I can feel your hunger."

I licked my fangs, lisping slightly as I said, "I'm hungry for you." I reached between us and grabbed what lay thick and heavy against my thigh. "Please."

"As I hunger for you," he groaned. "Damn it, Sookie. Fuck. We must stop."

He stood in a flash, and I pouted. "I don't want to stop."

Playtime was over. I could read it in his eyes. "We have a meeting to attend," he paused to glance at a clock hanging on the wall, "In three hours. We must prepare."

Meeting? What the hell kind of meeting did we need to have? He was right, of course, I realized as I thought about it. I'd killed the queen of Louisiana. There were things that needed to be talked about, things that probably needed to be done. I wasn't sure what, and I didn't have to be happy about it, but I knew he was right.

James and his family, had they got out? Tara, where was she? Bill _so_ needed to be dead. I needed to call Sam too. How many shifts had I missed at work?

"Fine," I huffed, tossing off the sheet that was over my leg. I stood too, meeting his dark eyes. Eric wasn't happy about it either, which made it a little easier. "I have no clothes."

Pam chose to make her entrance then. Her eyes lit on me and stayed. "My, my, Sookie. I've always wondered what you looked like naked."

Her fangs ran out and I thought I got the flash of an image, her head between my thighs, but quickly shook it off. I was going nuts. Eric had me all worked up. Sure, I'd been satisfied, more than once, but it wasn't enough. Never enough.

"Pam," Eric and I warned together. I reached over, grabbed the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around myself.

"Ugh," she groaned, waving a hand. "Fine, fine. I brought dinner." Then she gestured to the two girls following slightly behind her. "Just in case."

"I'm not going to eat them both," I said, horrified.

She laughed. So did Eric. "I did not know if he would be hungry too." Then she gave me a wicked grin. "Of course, if you're really hungry, I could always catch a third."

Catch, she'd said, like she were talking about some kind of trout. "No, thank you," I said stiffly. "Bottled blood will do me just fine."

"You've got to be kidding me," Pam chuckled.

"Sookie," Eric said, then turned to Pam. "Leave us."

She did, muttering something about moody newborns on her way out. She also left the two girls, glamoured and standing just inside the door.

I spun on Eric. "Did you hear her? Talking about them like they were food." I made a face, disgusted. I was a vampire, but that didn't mean I was unsympathetic. I refused to forget where I'd came from, no matter what other vampires may think.

"They _are_ food, Sookie," Eric said slowly. "The sooner you realize that, the easier this will be."

"Not you too," I said, my voice hard. "They're people. Not food. I'm not feeding from them. Not today. Maybe not tomorrow."

Eric moved close enough to still me by my shoulders. "Be reasonable."

"I am being reasonable," I shouted. "Yesterday, I was one of them. Now you expect me to feed from them? It's not going to happen."

"Three days have passed." I waved a hand. Semantics. "You _will_ feed."

I felt it then, the slight press of his mind against mine. I thought I'd felt it before, while I'd been trying to get in his pants, but I wasn't sure until just then. I shoved him hard. He was really clueless. "Don't you try to do that to me. It didn't work on me as a human, and it's certainly not going to work on me now."

"Apparently," he muttered, grabbing his pants and slipping them on. "This is something you cannot argue me on. You must learn to feed. Bottled blood is not always so readily available."

"You're missing the point, Eric." I stomped over and pointed a finger at the girls. "I will not take someone's will away from them. I will not feed from a person who is glamoured, no, _tricked_ into thinking they want it."

Because that's exactly what they were. Tricked. I'd seen too much horror, too much sadness and desperately trapped souls since I'd came to New Orleans, inside these very walls. I would not, _could_ not, be party to that kind of mistreatment.

Which was the whole point. I wasn't fool enough to think I'd never have to feed from a human. But if I was going to do it, if I _had_ to do it, I could only take blood from someone who willingly gave it. That was just the way it was going to have to be, no matter how much Eric bullied me the other way.

"Is that what this is about?" he asked, stepping toward me. I had the sudden realization that maybe he did understand, and it was like a weight had been lifted. "You think they're unwilling? Check their minds, if you must. I'm sure Pam was careful with her choices."

I did as he asked, keeping a wary eye on him. His face was relaxed, his eyes soft. "Release them," I said as I pointed to the blonde, "She does not want me to feed from her."

"Is she willing to let me feed from her?"

I checked. Relief made my shoulders sag. "Yes."

"Pam is not so heartless, no matter how much she acts as such."

I felt awful. "I know." I took a deep breath, realizing I didn't really need to. It just made me feel better. As if it took the rest of the stress, guilt, frustration, everything I was feeling, with it. "Can you take them out of glamour, at least?"

"You do it," he said, toying with a lock of my hair.

"Me? I don't know how."

"Reach to them, as if to see their thoughts." He turned me to face the girls, still playing with my hair. It was indescribably relaxing.

I did as he said. "Okay."

"Find where your mind touches theirs. It will spark, like an electric pulse in your mind."

That sounded strange but I focused, narrowing my vision. "Oh. Oh. Got it."

It wasn't a spark, it was a jolt, and when I touched it, I could see every moment from their birth up until this very moment. The one that wished me to feed from her, the younger one with chocolate brown hair, was head over heels for Pam. Pam was fond of her too, from what I could gather. It was why she'd been sent in. I felt a tear in my eye as I thought about how wrongly I'd accused Pam.

"Now," Eric said, combing through my hair with his fingers. The tip of one traced the nape of my neck and I shivered. Both girls let out gasps of their own. Our minds were almost as one. It was a very strange, very thrilling sensation. "Push at their mind as you pull yours away. Disconnect your thoughts from theirs."

Easier said than done. The blonde did not let go easily. She was enjoying the way my mind felt in hers. As fascinating as it felt, as wonderful as it seemed, it was not something I wanted to do unless I had to. Glamour was a very dangerous thing for a human. And a vampire. The power alone that I felt while connected to those girls, I thought, could become addictive.

I pushed them both away, pulled my own thoughts, my own feelings, back inside myself.

"Very good, Sookie," Eric praised. I smiled and leaned back against him. "Are you ready for your first dinner as a vampire?"

Ugh. He just had to go and ruin the mood, didn't he? "No," I said. "I'm afraid..." I paused, as if to say more, realizing then that was all there was to it.

He turned me to face him, kissed my forehead. "I will go first. Show you how it is done."

"Okay." I rather liked that idea. As much as I typically liked hands-on experience, I didn't think I was ready to bleed someone, put their lives at risk, without at least one demonstration. I was a waitress, not a nurse. Still, I was nervous. I'd never seen Eric feed before. I did not know how I would react. "Give me a second."

He waved a hand at the blond – Judy I pulled from her thoughts – and she came over with a smile, tugging her hair back and exposing her neck. My fangs throbbed at the sight of her pulse, jumping rhythmically beneath her tan skin.

"We do not have time to wait," Eric said, pulling my eyes from the young girl's throat. "You must be debriefed."

"Debriefed?" I asked, chuckling. "What am I? The president?"

"No," he answered, his face suddenly serious. "You slayed Sophie-Anne."

"Yeah," I said, slowly. "So?"

He stepped to me, clasped my face between his large hands. "By vampire law," he said quietly, "that makes you reigning queen of Louisiana and its area vampires."

**A/N: Oh, shit! Yes, yes I did just do that. EEP. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Sookie waking as a vampire. I know some of you have mixed feelings about that, and I understand. CH's Sookie would never become a vampire, but this one would. And I think that some of you might find you'll like this vampire Sookie.**

**Hope you take the time to comment. I love reading them. Until next time...**

**KISSES!**


	23. The Ancient What?

**A/N: This chapter is long as hell. Over 10k words. GAH! I hope you enjoy it. I had lots of fun writing it. Thanks so very, very much for the wonderful reviews for the last chapter. I'm thrilled you all don't hate me for making Sookie a vampire. **

**Forgive the delay in posting. **

**Special thanks: EtheHunter wrangled this mess. Any remaining mistakes are all mine. Please forgive me.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the characters. I love them, but I don't make any money off of them. **

**Previously...**

"_Very good, Sookie," Eric praised. I smiled and leaned back against him. "Are you ready for your first dinner as a vampire?"_

_Ugh. He just had to go and ruin the mood, didn't he? "No," I said. "I'm afraid..." I paused, as if to say more, realizing then that was all there was to it. _

_He turned me to face him, kissed my forehead. "I will go first. Show you how it is done."_

"_Okay." I rather liked that idea. As much as I typically liked hands-on experience, I didn't think I was ready to bleed someone, put their lives at risk, without at least one demonstration. I was a waitress, not a nurse. Still, I was nervous. I'd never seen Eric feed before. I did not know how I would react. "Give me a second."_

_He waved a hand at the blond – Judy I pulled from her thoughts – and she came over with a smile, tugging her hair back and exposing her neck. My fangs throbbed at the sight of her pulse, jumping rhythmically beneath her tan skin. _

"_We do not have time to wait," Eric said, pulling my eyes from the young girl's throat. "You must be debriefed." _

"_Debriefed?" I asked, chuckling. "What am I? The president?"_

"_No," he answered, his face suddenly serious. "You slayed Sophie-Anne."_

"_Yeah," I said, slowly. "So?"_

_He stepped to me, clasped my face between his large hands. "By vampire law," he said quietly, "that makes you reigning queen of Louisiana and its area vampires."_

**SPOV**

The phrase, 'knock me over with a feather,' came to mind. Only I didn't need a feather. I took two wobbly steps backward, until the back of my knees ran into something, then I collapsed onto the recently deceased Sophie-Anne's hideous gold and sapphire blue chaise lounge.

I rubbed at my ears. "Run that by me one more time." Because surely I'd misunderstood.

Eric walked over and knelt in front of me, clasping both of my hands in his and resting them on my knees. It felt like water was rushing in my ears. I knew what he was going to say, and I also knew I wasn't going to like it. "Sookie." This was the most ridiculous thing ever.

How could I be queen? I was... a newborn. I was not queen material. Had I known this would be the result, perhaps I would've rethought my plans to slay the queen. Even as I had the thought, I knew I would have done it anyway. Better dead-dead than un-dead. I sighed and met Eric's eyes. "Please tell me you are kidding."

He sighed too. "It is not something that is set in stone."

"Oh, thank God!" I said before he could go any further.

"Listen –"

"I don't want to listen anymore. You tell me I might can get out of this, that's all I need to know. God, Eric, I don't want to be queen."

He was already shaking his head. "Law says that you _are_ the queen."

"But I thought you just said – "

"If you would let me finish," he interrupted, giving me a crooked smile.

I wished I could return it. "I'm freaking out here. What the fuck? I mean... what the _fuck_? I can't be queen."

"It's alright, Sookie. We'll figure this out. First things first; I think you should feed."

"I'm not hungry right now." In fact, I almost felt nauseous. It was a strange feeling, but the closest I could come to describing it.

"It will ease you, my sweet," Eric said gently. I narrowed my eyes at him. Nothing in the world could ease me right now. "You've just awakened. Most of us are overwhelmed by hunger, the thirst for blood, upon waking." He called over the brunette. She knelt beside him and offered me her wrist. "It will calm your mind. Settle your emotions. Help you focus on one before you're caught up in another. Please."

"Is that what this is?" I asked, head spinning. It felt like I was being pulled in a thousand different directions all at once. "I want to pull my hair out."

"Blood will soothe you." He reached forward and pushed my hair out of my face. He was being so gentle with me, so patient. That had to count for something, right? "Please drink."

"Okay," I said slowly. My fangs were still long in my mouth, and it was a struggle simply trying to adjust to the way they felt in there. Not so much in the way, but it did feel awkward. My tongue wasn't sure where to go when I spoke. "Then we talk?"

"I swear it. There is much to discuss." Much as in a helluvalot.

I sighed again, taking the girls wrist in my shaky hands. "Tell me what to do."

"I'll do you one better; I will show you." He called the blonde girl over with a wave. "I have not fed since your death."

"What? Why?"

He smiled, but did not meet my eyes. "I did not wish to leave your side."

I felt myself soften; I think I would have blushed. I got that same warming feeling I had when I'd been human. It was very strange. Very nice. "I don't think I was going anywhere," I whispered.

"True," Eric admitted, finally meeting my stare. His eyes were heavy with emotion. Emotion I had a hard time grasping. I could feel him, his feelings, his fears and concerns, and they rivaled mine in potency. "It wasn't a hardship. I quite like staring at you."

"Eric," I said, feeling slightly embarrassed. Our audience was quite captive, and it only made me more flustered.

"You are beautiful," he continued, reaching up to stroke my cheek. I tucked my face against his hand, for comfort, but also to hide my eyes from him. There were many facets of Eric I had yet to see, some of which I knew I'd become addicted to.

"Stop. Please."

"I think I will miss that lovely blush of yours." I could hear the smile in his voice, feel his pleasure in my blood, and couldn't help but to smile back a little. "But you look positively sinful with fangs."

"Okay, now," I fussed, smacking at his arm. "That's enough. Show me, Obi Wan."

He beamed at me. "I have watched your Star Wars, and I believe the correct phrase is, 'Help me, Obi Wan,' no?"

I chuckled, feeling lighter than I had in... I don't know how long. "You're right."

"Am I your only hope, Sookie?"

I leaned forward and kissed him. I really couldn't help it. It was just something I had to do. "I kind of love you right now."

He hummed against my lips. "I suppose we'll work up to the rest." Then he pulled back and stood. "Let's get you fed."

"Okay," I drawled. I wanted to stop and analyze what he'd meant by his previous statement, but I didn't get the chance.

"When you bite, don't do it slowly." He lifted Judy's wrist to his mouth and licked at the visible vein. My eyes locked in on the rhythmic thump. "You can actually cause more pain for your donor by biting too gently."

"Her name is Judy."

"Judy," he repeated. "Instead, bite as if you were taking a bite of food." At my quirked eyebrow he said, "Believe me, I mean no offense. It is easiest to reference it that way. Do not chomp down, but do not ease your fangs in. Make sense?"

No. "I guess." I lifted Sarah's wrist to my mouth, and copied his movement awkwardly. It felt strange to lick another girl's wrist to me.

"Good," Eric said. "Bring the blood to the surface. Encourage it there, coax it if you will, with your touch, before you bite."

I continued to lap at her wrist, feeling her pulse thunder on my tongue with each pass. I salivated, my hunger gnawing at my belly. Deeper. In my bones. "Do it," I told him. "Bite her, or I'm going to beat you to it."

Sarah moaned. I ignored her, my eyes locked on Eric and Judy. His eyes met mine, stared with laser-like intensity. I squirmed in my seat, hungry for more than just blood. Maybe there were two other people in the room, and maybe Eric and I were feet away from each other, but it felt like we existed separately from everything else.

Time slowed.

He bit.

Judy cried out. As my teeth sank into Sarah's wrist, we moaned simultaneously. I had my first taste of human blood, and I moaned in ecstasy.

I watched Eric. He took three deep swallows, and I did the same. When my eyes rolled back and I could no longer see him, I used Sarah's mind to watch the room. There was definitely something intensely sexual about feeding as a vampire. Not unlike eating a delicious piece of quality chocolate. Something rich, creamy and decadent, but infinitely more pleasing. Orgasmic.

Judy did orgasm, as did Sarah. I opened my eyes. Eric was watching me with obvious interest. Apparent hunger. I had the thought that we may not ever make it out of this room, and that was okay by me.

The mood changed when I caught wind of Judy's thoughts. I released Sarah with a hiss, remembering only at the last moment to seal her wound with a lick. "Thank you, Sarah. You may go." Then I was in Eric's face, catching Judy's hand before she could reach down and grab what was mine. "Leave us," I said to her.

Eric released her wrist and sealed his bite. Judy walked out of the room, silently pouting. "Jealous?" he asked.

"Yes." There was no sense in denying it. He could feel it just as certainly as I could feel his satisfaction at my reaction. "This," I said, grabbing hold of the width of him. He grew harder at my touch, and I growled in my own form of satisfaction. "Is mine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Yours?"

"Yes," I hissed, stroking him. "I do not share. With anyone."

He hummed. Then ripped away the sheet I'd used for cover. "Which means that," he said, roughly shoving his hand between my thighs. I whimpered, drawing my own blood when I bit my lip. "This is mine."

"Nothing has changed." It was both a statement and a question. Did he still want me, as he had before? Did he still want to give us, whatever it was we shared, a try? I did. I knew that much.

He slipped one finger deep, swirled it around. I swayed with the motion. "Only thing that has changed is now I don't have to be gentle with you." Then his mouth was on mine, his tongue in my throat, and our fangs were tangling.

We broke a lamp. And two of the posts on the bed. The chaise was shredded, as was Eric's back. I watched the marks from my nails heal as I went to let Pam in. _Oh, shit._ One of the beautifully woven rugs hadn't survived either. I was pretty sure that hole hadn't been in the wall before.

"Damn," Pam said as she waltzed in. "I always miss the good parties."

"This was a private party," I said, still trying to calm myself. There'd been nothing tender at all. Our sex had been violent and explosive and bloody. Vampires did, indeed, drink blood from one another. I was still reeling, though I did feel a bit more... rational. I could think more clearly after having had so much blood. A lot of it Eric's, though the human blood was what had settled my hunger, his had settled a deeper kind of hunger.

"To be continued," Eric said from the adjoining room. He'd already retrieved a fresh pair of pants. His others hadn't survived my nails. Or my teeth.

I smirked. "Promise?"

"Guarantee it," he winked.

"You two," Pam tutted. "I do wish I knew who your hairdresser was, Sookie."

"What?" I frowned and reached a hand to my head. Surely it was a mess.

She reached forward and flipped a tangled wave. "Last time I told my stylist I wanted the thoroughly fucked look, I came out looking like a girl from one of those eighty's slasher films." She shuddered and I snickered.

"Did you bring me any clothes?" I asked as I walked past her. Eric held out his robe for me, and I slid it over my shoulders, then dropped the scrap of my sheet. It had barely made it out alive. "I can't go meet this... these people in my birthday suit."

"On the contrary," Pam said, grinning. "You go like that, everyone will swear fealty to your gloriously nude body."

"Shut up, Pam."

"It's true," Eric whispered against my neck. "I know I will."

"Both of you just... hush. No one is swearing fealty to me, or my... this," I gestured helplessly to my less-than-clothed self. "Speaking of... all that mess; I think it's about time you guys tell me what the hell is going on."

Pam and Eric shared a look over my shoulder. I groaned. This was going to be a long night, from the looks of it. Instead of making my life easier by killing the queen, I was beginning to wonder if I'd only made it more difficult.

"You have clothes in the adjoining suite," Eric said, walking around me and taking my hand. "After we're finished, you can shower and get dressed."

Yup, definitely going to be a long night. "Alright," I said, sitting down on the only surviving chair. Whatever they had to say, I was pretty sure it'd be easier to take if I was sitting down. Vampires did not get tired, so I knew Eric and Pam would have no problems with standing for as long as it took. "Talk to me. Where's Tara?"

They shared that look again, but it was Pam who spoke up this time. "I glamoured away the memory of her ordeal and sent her back to Bon Temps."

"Okay, good." It really was the best thing. Eric and Pam both gave me crazy looks. "What? I don't want her remembering a thing from that night. Hell, I don't want to remember a thing from that night." Tara had been there, though glamoured, through my entire torture session with Andre. I didn't wish that memory on anyone, much less Tara.

"Very well," Eric continued. "As I told you before, by killing the queen, you staked claim for regent in her stead."

"No, I didn't," I argued. "I just wanted her dead."

Eric cocked an eyebrow. "In the vampire world, that is what it means. You only kill an area ruler if you're prepared to take his or her place."

"Yeah, but I was a human, wouldn't that make me a... an exception, or something?" I was so sure that would be what saved me.

"Normally you would be right," Eric answered. "However." There was always a however, wasn't there? "You are a vampire now. That is what counts."

"Well, shit," I breathed.

"Shit with a crown and throne, at least," Pam said. "You definitely know how to go out with a bang, as they say." I glared at her. Eric smothered a grin. They were having way too much fun with this.

"So, while I was..." What? Metamorphosizing? Changing? "Converting?" I finally said. Who'd been in charge? Is what I was trying to ask, it didn't come out right. Or at all. I was kind of at a loss.

"There have been many assassination attempts."

I stood abruptly. "What?" What the hell kind of world was this? Apparently I'd become queen by killing the former queen, but other vampires were now trying to kill me? How was that supposed to work?

"Obviously, they have failed," Eric assured me. Not that it helped.

Pam spoke up too, grinning with her fangs on display. "Though it was increasingly more fun with each attempt."

Of course she would think people trying to murder me in my sleep was fun. "So it was you that guarded me?" I asked, a little bit touched. Pam and I got along, but I'd never known she liked me that much. In many ways, she'd been putting her life at risk by protecting mine.

"Among myself," Eric piped in. "And a few others."

"Others?" I sat back down. This was all so much. Too much for me to process.

He smiled. "Apparently, you made quite an impression on a few of Sophie-Anne's guards."

"Oh, really?" The only ones I'd met had been James, who'd helped me out immensely, and the three who'd stood guard at Sophie-Anne's door. Those I'd knocked unconscious.

"You even have a number of vampire allies."

I snorted. "You're kidding, right?"

Eric and Pam both shook their heads. It was Pam who answered, though, and I could hear how much she was enjoying herself. Good for her. "Many suffered under Sophie-Anne's rule, and are grateful for the reprieve, willing to serve you because, to them, anyone is better than her. Others were simply impressed that a human was successful in slaying the queen. There are also several who are just biding their time, waiting for us to let down our guard."

"Oh, goody," I muttered.

"When Pam says many, she is severely understating it." Eric shook his head. "I was unaware of how hard a hand Sophie-Anne used to rule her kingdom. I was left alone, for the most part, perhaps because of my position, or maybe my age." He shrugged and took a few steps closer. "There have been several attempts on Sophie-Anne's life over her tenure."

"I can believe that," I said, and I could. She was a sadistic bitch.

"And all were foiled in one way or another, Sookie. So many, in fact, that they eventually gave up hope. The fact that you were able to best her and Andre, her second, two out of the three who were the only one's to keep her one the throne – "

"I didn't have time for Bill. He was next." I lost my train of thought as I pictured Bill's smug face. I couldn't wait to kill him.

Eric chuckled and came over to sit on the arm of my chair. "And he'll get his just desserts."

"Looking forward to it," Pam purred, now leaning against the wall. She was picking at her nails. I knew she was far from bored. Pam thrilled at the prospect of a good fight, probably more than I did. And I was thrilling so hard at the thought of killing Bill, my fangs were peeking.

"The point is," Eric said, giving Pam and I both hard stares. "The vampires of Louisiana are holding you in the highest regard, at present, for your ability to do what hundreds of others have failed to do."

I swallowed. "I thought you said they were trying to kill me."

"There have been some try, and fail, and there will always be more," he added solemnly.

I shook my head and breathed out a sigh. "I can't win every fight."

"You won't have to," Pam said. "You're not alone, Sookie." _Sister._ The word came through loud and clear, as if she'd said it. Her lips hadn't moved. "You have many – " Eric cleared his throat, and she flicked him a look. "Fine. You have the majority of the state at your back."

I choked. "Excuse me?"

Eric took my hands, turning me so that I was looking at his handsome face. "I told you many had suffered. You saw, or rather, heard, the humans and shifters who'd been victim of her abuse. The Louisiana vampires, particularly the local and surrounding area ones, are desperate for a change. They heard the tales, as did we all, from James, your Werelion, and his family, of your heroics. You have given them hope for a future. A future ruled in fairness. Ruthlessness against those who would bring them harm and kindness to those who don't."

I was in tears. How the hell was I supposed to say no to that? "Eric." I shook my head. You can bet your ass I was going to try. "I can't do that. I can't live up to that. I'm just a newborn."

He brushed the tears from my eyes an licked his bloodied fingertips. "You think anyone else could?"

"You could," I whispered.

Eric said nothing to that. I'm not sure how, but I knew he didn't want to be King. Likely he would have killed Sophie-Anne long ago if he had. I didn't know his reasoning, but I knew it like I knew myself. Eric wished to rule as much as I wished to be dead. Which was none at all. I wanted to be queen just a smidgen more than I wanted to be dead, so I guessed that put me ahead of Eric.

"The fact that you're a newborn may be your only saving grace," Pam said. She came over and sat on the other arm of my chair, and I patted her leg. It was nice to have some support.

"She is right," Eric confirmed. I wanted to weep in relief. Except... Who would rule now? Would they be as monstrous as Sophie-Anne? Worse? "Typically a ruler of the state or area is under no one else's control. Their maker is finally dead, and they answer to no one except themselves and their people. And of course The Authority."

"The Authority? What's that?"

"It would be like your government. Only instead of there being many, congress, representatives, secretary's of state, and what have you, there is only one."

Well, that just sounded ominous as all get out. "Like a president, or something?" Eric nodded slightly. "And this vampire?" I shrugged, not really knowing what I was asking.

Eric understood me well enough. "Is the deciding vote. What she says goes. What she rules is law."

"She?"

"The Ancient Pythoness," Eric responded, a hint of awe clear in his tone. I was pretty sure that was a breed of dog, but I very well could've been mistaken. "No one knows her true age or when she was turned. Blind as a human, she was gifted as a Seer upon becoming a vampire."

Pam said,"She may very well be the oldest of our kind."

"What's a Seer?"

"A person with visions. Much like your telepathy allows you to hear other's thoughts, her visions allow her to see the truth of a person. Their future," answered Eric.

"I'm glad I'm not a Seer," I said truthfully. I saw enough as it was. "I'm guessing that's how she got herself the position though, huh?"

"Exactly," he confirmed. "That and her age. Not a single vampire dares to question her. We're meeting with her in an hour."

"An hour!" That wasn't giving me much time to come up with a plan. I couldn't be queen, but I didn't feel comfortable turning down the position unless I was certain there was a better option. I was now a Louisiana vampire too, and I'd have to answer to its ruler. That made me think of something else. "Wait a minute, Eric, you're my maker, so that means I shouldn't be able to take this position, right?"

"Typically, you would be right," he answered. "But," Eric had to say. But, but, but. There were always buts. And howevers. I sighed, blinking up at him. He didn't say anything else, just stared at me with those multicolored eyes.

Finally, I lost patience. "But what?" Eric took a deep breath. I held mine. Then Pam stood up and started doing jump-n-jacks.

"Really?" she said, looking mightily pissed.

I tried not to snicker. "Why is she doing that?"

"Because," Eric said, "I told her to." He gave me a pointed look, which I couldn't for the life of me decipher, then Pam stopped her calisthenics. "Just like I told you to."

"I hate you," Pam muttered, moving to the other side of the room, near the exit.

"Huh?" I said dumbly. "You didn't say anything about jump-n-jacks." Surely I would've remembered that.

"This cannot leave the room," Eric said seriously.

"Okay," I answered, wary. Who was I going to tell secrets to, anyway? The majority of the people I trusted _were_ in this room.

"I told you before about a maker's command, remember?"

I nodded. "I remember." He'd also told me about some of the awful things his maker had compelled him to do. I remember thinking it was just as bad as glamour could be, if in the wrong hands. I remember feeling bad for Eric. "Is that what you just did to Pam?"

"It's what I just did to both of you. It was only Pam who obeyed."

"You tried to make me do jump-n-jacks?" I snorted. "Oh," I gasped, realizing that second the point he was trying to make. "You can't do your maker glamour on me, huh?"

"Apparently not," he said, looking completely annoyed by the fact.

"Boo hoo for you," I said. "Too bad I won't sit and heel on command." I was glad for it. I'd never been good at that sort of thing, had I? Except... "That's what you tried to do to me earlier?"

"Yes, I tried to command you to feed. Before that, I tried to make you stop touching me."

I thought I'd gotten a little blip of something the first time. The second time, I'd felt it clear as day. But this time... "I didn't feel you at all."

"Much like when you were human, I'm assuming."

"Makes sense," I said, nodding. Before I'd been turned, Eric hadn't been able to get through to me unless some small part of me wanted to do what he was compelling.

When I first woke up I think I was switching gears from hot and cold so fast I was confused about what I wanted to do. Then, I had wanted to feed, maybe not exactly how Eric had tried to get me to do, but I was hungry. And of course I hadn't wanted to do jump-n-jacks; I was too heavy in the bust for all that bouncing.

"I don't think you understand, Sookie," he continued, all business again. "I cannot command you, therefore, you have no one to control you. Which means..."

I was pretty good at math. "That I'm qualified, by vampire standards, to be ruler of an area."

"Exactly."

"Well, shit," I muttered. "How the hell am I supposed to get out of this?" I thought aloud.

"You have to understand, Sookie," Eric said slowly. "This is completely unprecedented. There are no laws for this kind of situation, as it's never arisen before now. No human has ever killed one of our kind, especially not one of such authority, and lived to tell the tale."

"_I_ didn't live to tell the tale," I pointed out.

"Ah, but you did." He stood and took my hand, pulling me up to face him. "And you are stronger now than you were before. Sturdier. Harder to kill." He caressed my face and I nuzzled his palm, needing the comfort. "If The Ancient Pythoness declares you queen of Louisiana and its residents, then it is decided as law and there will be nothing you or I can do about it."

"But I don't want to be queen, Eric."

His lips tilted at the corners in a very private kind of smile. It was one I'd seen a very few times, and I was beginning to think of it as mine. My very own special Eric smile. "I have met few vampires along the way I've revered highly enough for respect. You are among them, my Sookie."

"Eric – "

"Even when you were human, I grew to respect you. Your spirit. Your stubbornness and spunk. Your zest for life. You have a fairness about you, an openness, when it comes to judging others, despite already knowing what they're thinking."

"I really don't."

He ignored me and went on. "You yearn for people to be treated equally, vampire, humans and shifters alike."

He was so wrong about me. "I didn't always."

"It is what will make you a fit queen," he whispered. His blue eyes shone with emotion, and for a moment I could see myself as he saw me, and I could believe him. It was a magnificent sight, but something I feared I'd never be able to live up to. "It is my belief," he said reverently, "that this is something you were born to do."

"But – "

"Shh," he pressed his finger to my lips. "Whatever happens, no matter the decision, know that I will be by your side. This new life of yours, whether it be as queen or simply as a newborn vampire, is not something you will face alone."

I felt tears roll down my cheeks. "So if she...?" I trailed off, not knowing how to ask what I wanted to know. Eric didn't want to be King, but if I was ruled as Queen, I didn't think it was something I could face without him. I didn't want him to leave me.

Eric nodded in understanding. "Pam is very capable," he said. "I will be where you need me." He suddenly looked insecure. "That is, if you wish it."

"Of course, I wish it," I cried. "I can't... I can't do this by myself." I reached up and touched his face, handsome as ever. "I need you." It was the truth, but I only realized how true it was after I said it. It'd been a long time since I needed someone. It was a strange feeling. A warming, frightening feeling. "Besides, who else would I _ever_ listen to?"

He grinned, flashing me the tips of his fangs. "You don't listen to me."

I shrugged. "I can't do this without you." Whatever it was I was going to do, or be, I needed to be able to count on Eric being a part of it. A part of my life. Wow. I'd come a long way, hadn't I?

He said nothing, just leaned down and captured my lips in a ferocious kiss. I didn't need to breathe, but by the time he pulled back I was panting and gasping. "You could," he said, and it took me a moment to realize he was finishing my thought, "But you don't have to."

Pam cleared her throat. "If you two are finished steaming up the room with sugar and lust, we have a few more things to discuss."

Eric and I shared a smile before returning our attention to the matter at hand. I didn't feel comfortable with becoming queen, of course, but at least I felt comfort in the fact that whatever fate may come of this mess, I wouldn't have to go at it solo.

We talked a little more about things, discussed plans of action if I should be made queen. Pam and Eric begrudgingly informed me there'd likely be vampires that came out and challenged me face-to-face for the position.

I expressed a lot of concern over that. I didn't know how to fight as a vampire, and that's what sort of challenge it would be. A fight to the death. But then Pam pointed out that I'd been a skilled fighter when I was human, and as a vampire that would only make me more indomitable, and I felt a little better. Funny how a compliment from someone you, in many ways, look up to can do such a thing.

Then I made mention of something we'd had a similar problem with before. "What makes you think any of these vampires will believe you have no control over me?" Before it'd been issues with the police not believing I couldn't be glamoured. It was a different situation, sure, but very similar. I doubted a vampire would believe it, especially one whose maker had treated them horrifically.

"That's just something we'll have to face if or when it comes up," Eric said.

"She's right though," said Pam. "I find it hard to believe myself. Many of our kind will be impossible to convince otherwise."

Eric shrugged and gave us both a look, and that was that. He didn't have the answer, so we were left with dealing with that however it would unfold. Perhaps, I thought, keeping my fingers crossed, that would keep me off the throne when it was all said and done. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking.

Shortly after that, Pam shooed Eric out so I could shower and get dressed. I was pretty sure it was a cheap attempt for her to see me naked again, but whatever. I supposed Pam had to get her thrills from somewhere. Strangely, my modesty, or at least some of it, seemed to have disappeared with my craving for spoon fulls of peanut-butter.

"I don't think that's going to fit me, Pam," I said as I was finishing the last of my make-up. Seeing myself in the mirror for the first time as a vampire was something else. I'd merely applied a bit of eyeliner and some lip gloss.

I hadn't so much changed in appearance as I had... amplified, I supposed was a word for it. My lashes looked thicker, my skin clearer and more vibrant. My eyes seemed so much more vivid than they'd been before. Then again, maybe this was how I'd looked as a human, only my eye sight hadn't been sharp enough to see it.

"Sure it will," she said, holding up the sleek looking red dress. It was ankle length and made of the softest material I'd ever touched. The slit in the side would come about mid-thigh, so it was a modest enough dress. It was the bust area that I was worried about. Pam and I were not the same size. "However, you may want to skip the underthings. Can't have your Queenliness walking around with panty lines, now can we?"

I sneered. "Let me see it." She tossed me the dress, and I caught it with a swift flick if two fingers. Vampire speed was very cool, I have to say. "You look beautiful, by the way."

Her dress was a blue so pale it almost looked like a pearl, and it matched the tone of her skin so closely it appeared as though she wore nothing at all. Her's was a tad longer, trailing the floor slightly behind her as she walked and a bit looser in the skirt than mine was.

Pam took a bow. "Just something I had tucked away." I dropped my towel and slid that beautiful red fabric over my head. "Mmm. Sure I can't talk you into doing this naked?" she purred.

"Shut up," I said, trying to shift the fabric so my boobs would fit in it. I leaned forward and stuck my hand down the front to situate them. Then I stood upright and slid up the side zipper. "I can't breathe in this thing."

"Good thing you don't need to," Pam said, smiling. "You look like sex."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Gee, thanks."

She pointed to the loveseat. "Shoes."

I marched over, well, pranced is more like it. The dress was tight enough through the hips that there would be no marching. The slit in the side allowed some mobility, but not a lot. "Heels? Really?"

"You can't wear flats with that dress."

She was right. Unless I wanted to be tripping over the hem, introducing myself as the worlds clumsiest vampire, I needed a couple more inches in height. "Why does it feel like I'm getting dressed for a ball, instead of a meeting with The Vampire of all Vampires."

"Because," Pam said airily, "in a sense you are. This could turn out to be your coronation ball."

"Oh, God," I groaned. "Please stop it."

"Psh, you whine too much." She walked over and tossed a bit of my hair around, then fingered it into a different place. "Stop being a baby. Many would kill for this opportunity. You fought to deserve it. Do not look at it so lightly. Be proud. Put on your big girl panties, and face it like a woman."

I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. It was the kind of pep talk I needed, and only Pam knew me well enough to get that. _Sister._ There was that word again, but there were emotions that accompanied it this time. Pam _was_ my sister, and in some ways she'd know me better than Eric ever could. I didn't need comforting now; I needed a swift kick in the ass. Pam was good for those.

I grinned at her as I pulled back, toying with a lock of her loose hair too. I set it to the side of her face, just behind her ear. "But, Pam, you told me I couldn't wear panties."

She beamed. "Even better." Then she stepped back and gave me a once over. "You'll do."

"Thanks," I grumbled, turning to look at myself in the long mirror. Not too shabby. I hoped I didn't get carried away and rip the dress though, it felt about as sturdy as toilet paper.

Pam stepped up behind me, and I caught the stare in her reflection. "I suppose we'll have to do a bit of shopping for you. Perhaps a bit of sisterly bonding over credit cards and fashion tips."

I snorted and glance at her over my shoulder. "I'd rather kick your ass, now that we're on equal ground."

She laughed, and pulled me into her arms for a quick hug. "You are truly my sister."

I laughed too. "In a fair fight, I'd kick your ass every time."

"Oh, honey, don't you know me at all?" she said, looking properly affronted. Then she winked. "I never, _ever_, fight fair."

Perhaps a lot of things had changed, but that hadn't. Pam and I would still get our kicks, literally, from trying to best one another in a fight. Maybe before it had been for practice, or at least started out that way, but now? Well, now, it would be a form of sisterly bonding. Things were up in the air right now, for all of us, but I did have something to look forward to. Knowing Pam was equally as excited, made it all the more heartwarming.

"Talk about sibling rivalry," I said, chuckling.

When Eric walked in a moment later, we were still laughing. Apparently he'd overheard us at the door, too, because he said, "You two will bring a whole new meaning to the words."

"Damn straight," I said, winking at Pam.

"As long as you remember that I still love you," she grinned, "even while I'm handing you your ass."

Challenge accepted. I grinned, knowing my fangs were peeking. When I turned to face Eric, looking dapper and elegant in a sleek, black tux, they pulsed down hard against my lip. He stole my breath. I hadn't felt a pulse since I'd awakened, but something thumped in my chest as the sight of him.

"Love birds," I heard Pam mutter.

"Hi," I said, taking two steps toward him.

He took two more, and then we were face-to-face. "You look..."

"Yeah?" I tucked back a loose curl, feeling slightly abashed. "You too," I said, meeting his eyes.

He kissed me softly, mindful of my lip gloss. "Ready?"

"No."

"Yes, you are." When he offered me his elbow, I took it. "My queen."

Somehow, it had a different meaning, deeper and more loaded perhaps, when Eric said it, and it suddenly didn't seem so awful a fate. Eric offered Pam his other arm, and out we went.

"Three blond's walk into a bar," I snickered.

"Oh," Pam cried, "I do love a good blond joke."

Eric was chuckling. "Yeah, but what's the punchline."

"I think we're about to find out," I mumbled as we waltzed into a grand room, filled with buzzing minds and sharp fangs. "I just hope the laugh doesn't come at our expense."

As we walked through the room, the crowd parted like the Red Sea had for Moses. It was eerie and only proved to unsettle me more. Eric held tight to my arm, moving to clasp my hand in his. I knew he could feel my nerves, and I was grateful for the extra touch. Funny how his touch could just as well excite me as it could soothe me. In this case, I was glad my body had decided to go with the latter.

Some vampires dropped immediately to their knees as we passed. Others gave deep bows, or slight nods of respect. Murmurs rose up in the crowd, but never above a whisper. Some were kind words, words of awe. But others were vicious and cruel. Eric and Pam had been right; I did have many supporters. I also had many enemies in the mass of bodies, and some of them did not want me to live through the night.

It was those words that kept me putting one foot in front of the other. Those malevolent vampires whose doubt and contempt almost made the decision for me. A part of me, the side that loved a good challenge – which let's admit was a huge part of me – reared up her head and vowed to prove to each and every one of them I could do this. I _could_ be queen. And it wouldn't be me that didn't survive the night; it would be them. That part of me had been bloodthirsty and vicious long before I became a vampire.

I had to force myself calm, reminding myself that this wasn't really the life I wanted. Sure, there would always be a part of me that longed for a family, a huge family that counted on me, relied on me for one reason or another.

At the center of us all, isn't that what we all desire? To be needed. Supported and loved. To be trusted by many because we'd earned it. Because we'd proved ourselves. Because we could be counted on for whatever was needed at whatever time it was needed. For so long I'd been alone, with no one to love or care for, and I didn't realize until that moment how nice it might feel to have all that again.

A vampire family, an entire state of vampires at that, had not been what I had in mind. But, depending on how the night went, it might very well be what I wound up with. I squared my shoulders, lifted my chin and kept up my steady stride. If it was my fate, then you can bet your ass I was going to give it my all.

We headed in the direction of the center stage. A large chair sat directly in the middle, with two slightly smaller chairs on either side. Large red tapestries hung from the ceiling at the rear of the stage. _Ugh._ Sophie-Anne had horribly gaudy tastes. Directly in front, at the base of the steps leading up to those chairs, sat another chair.

A wheelchair, more accurately.

In it sat the oldest vampire I'd ever laid eyes on. And I mean in human years, too. Her hair was white with silver streaks, and her skin was wrinkled with age. Her hands looked as frail as the rest of her, and I had the silliest thought. How the hell had she ever fed from a human centuries ago? What did she do? Hobble after them?

At the exact moment I had the thought, her eyes flicked up to mine, and I swallowed a gasp. They were as white as her hair, a sign of her blindness, but instinctively I knew she could see me just as clearly as I could see her. Perhaps she had even read my thoughts. I lowered my eyes to the floor in apology. In shame.

Behind her stood a rather young looking vampire. His hair was as dark as his eyes, and he was probably the first vampire I'd ever seen with a tan. His complexion was olive, and I thought his ethnicity was probably Mediterranean. Greek, possibly? Italian? I'd never been good at picking out such things, but I was leaning toward Greek for some reason. He looked, though I knew those could be deceiving, kind. Protective. Whoever he was to The Ancient Pythoness, he cared for her deeply.

Her eyes tracked us as we passed, and I tried not to stare as we ascended the steps. I also tried not to trip. I hadn't felt myself stumble, yet, but who knew when clumsiness would strike? Typically it happened at the most inopportune times.

Pam moved to the chair on the right as Eric led me to the center. He'd warned me about this, but I still felt oddly uncomfortable and out of place in such a position. Even if it was only symbolic at that point, it was a cumbersome feeling. Then he moved to my left, standing with his arms clasped behind his back.

I looked out over the sea of people. Vampires, humans, shifters, and Weres, though the majority of them were vampires, and I felt... small. Not in size, but in experience, in knowledge. I knew little to nothing about this world I'd found myself tossed in. I felt insignificant and inadequate. I liked challenges, but I did not like to fail them.

I took a deep, unneeded, breath and sat down. The noise as everyone around the room did the same was deafening. Only a few remained standing, guards stood post at the doors – James among them – and a few humans who'd been offering refreshments stepped near the outer walls and stilled. Silence was the loudest sound on the planet.

Something elaborate and showy is what I expected. What I got was not anywhere near that.

"Raul," The Ancient Pythoness said. Her voice cracked with age, and it reminded me so much of my Gran's, I caught my breath.

Wordlessly, Raul rolled her along the front of the stage to a ramp near the side. The wheels squeaked, echoing loudly in the silence as he wheeled her across the marble stage. They stopped directly in front of me, and I stiffened, clasping tightly to the arms of the chair.

"Ms. Stackhouse, a lovely vampire you are."

I met her eyes and lowered my head in what I hoped was proper supplication and respect. I wasn't sure how to respond, but manners made me say, "Thank you. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ma'am."

She smiled, and it was equal parts pleased and creepy. Her fangs looked positively lethal in length, and were slightly yellowed. I assumed it was due to her age, because they matched her others. When she reached out to take my hand, I fought not to fidget. It was a sudden movement, so it was a struggle not to flinch away.

Her hands were cold, even for a vampire, and they felt as frail as they looked. I let my hand rest carefully in hers. When she wrapped her fingers around mine in a bruising grip, I winced. Stronger than she looked. I didn't pull away, because if her visions were anything like my telepathy, then I knew touch amplified it. Eric had warned me she'd do this, but I had not expected her to be so stout.

She hummed thoughtfully, opened her mouth and tugged my fingers to it, nearly pulling me off balance. When she pricked my index finger with her fang, I was unable to hold back my gasp of surprise. "Interesting," she murmured, dropping my hand in the same moment. "Stand, my child." Confused, I stood. Raul spun her to face the crowd. "You have your queen. Swear fealty or come forth."

"What?" I breathed. "Wait." I looked at Eric. Back to The Ancient Pythoness. This couldn't be happening. I gaped, unable to find the words.

The crowd erupted as if with one voice. Eric and Pam, on either side of me, took my hands and dropped to their knees. Vampires all around the room did the same. It was a thunderous boom. My ears swam with promises of obedience and honor, to guard and protect. "_Serve my queen and her wishes as if they were my own." _

I noted, absently, those who did not kneel, those who did not speak. There were many. I reached for The Ancient Pythoness, ignoring Raul's hand as he tried to snatch my wrist. I touched her shoulder. "Please. You can't do this. _I_ can't do this."

She peeked over her shoulder at me, white hair and white eyes. Then she tapped Raul's hand, a comforting gesture, and he turned her chair so she could face me. On unsteady legs, she stood, Raul supporting her by the elbow. Out of concern, or fear, or maybe it was just deeply ingrained manners, I took her other. She was light as a feather.

All she said was, "I can, and I did."

I tried again. "They deserve better. Please, choose someone else. I know nothing."

Murmuring voices trailed into whispers, and then the crowd grew silent.

Her voice was scratchy but strong, and it echoed in the grand room. "You think anyone else can give them better than they deserve?"

"Yes. A thousand others," I breathed, nearly in tears. All those faces, so similar and yet so different. I knew so few of them. Practically none. Chow. A familiar dozen I'd met in Fangtasia. The rest were strangers, expecting more of me than I could dream of. "I know so little," I said, speaking of the crowd, the world I was now a part of. So many things I tried to stress in those four words.

She smiled softly. It was the smile of a grandmother. "And yet you know so much."

I shook my head. She was so wrong. Then I got a flash, like a memory filled with lightening. It sparked in my mind, behind my eyes as if it were my own.

It was my Gran. Or as if The Ancient Pythoness had placed herself inside my Gran's body to look at the world with my Gran's eyes. I wept as I watched myself being born. I'd been tiny, three weeks early. My mother. I gasped. She looked so beautiful. I fit perfectly in the crook of her arm. My father touched my face. I cried, in the memory as a babe, as I watched it frozen in that large room, surrounded by vampires I didn't know, I cried.

"Sometimes," The Ancient Pythoness said, pulling me out of the memory. "What one needs is innocence."

"But I'm just a baby," I responded, speaking of the memory, of the truth in the here and now. I was just a newborn.

She held onto my hand, still clasped around her elbow, and let her other stretch out over the crowd. "Too long," she gasped, a single, red tear rolling down her age wisened cheek. "Far too long these have suffered. It is time for peace."

For a moment, I saw what she saw. I felt what she felt. It hadn't been merely the humans Sophie-Anne had tortured, kept as prisoner. Some of the vampires in this crowd had died a thousand deaths at her hands. Or wished they had.

"I'm afraid," I said. "I'll fail."

She leaned forward, as if to whisper in my ear. I bent down to help her. Then she kissed one cheek. "It is in your blood," she said, moving to kiss my other. "You have the blood of a royal. The blood of a queen."

Eric, who'd been silent throughout, took my hand in his. "What do you mean?" he asked softly. I realized only then, they were speaking so no one else could hear. I wasn't sure why, and I certainly wasn't sure what she'd meant either, so I stayed silent.

She blinked her white eyes up at Eric. "Contact Brigant. He will know of what I speak."

The name meant nothing to me, but it meant something to Eric. "You wish me to contact the Prince of the Fae?" His eyes blinked over to me, and there was something unreadable inside them. "Niall Brigant?"

"Ah," the old vampire said, smiling up at Eric as she sat back down. "Now you see as I see."

"What just happened?" I asked, oblivious.

"Later," he answered stiffly. He squeezed my hand and leaned to press a kiss to my forehead. Something had changed, and I wasn't sure what it was.

Raul started to wheel The Ancient Pythoness away. "Wait," I called. "Please. Don't put me in this position. I'm... I'm unstable." I certainly felt like I was.

She laughed, and it was like the deep gong of a church bell. Such a big laugh for a small woman. Then she took my hand in hers. "Do you think the best leaders come from those who think they know it all?"

"Well, no, but – "

"A good ruler, a fair ruler, knows she is fallible, knows she is unworthy, and works harder. She'll learn from mistakes, and be willing to learn from the experience of others. A great ruler is hardly perfect, but will never stop striving for it."

"Miss... Madam... I – " I flailed, unable to express the deepest of my concerns. There were so many.

She continued, as if I hadn't just blundered out something incoherent. "The best rulers, not just of our kind, but in all the world, lead with others in mind. They rule for others, not for themselves." With that parting statement, she was wheeled away, and I was left facing a crowd of vampires I was sure to let down in one way or another.

Then the attacks began. I'm not sure how, but I'd seen the first one coming. Instinct had me reaching out with my right hand. A neck found its way into my grip, and it was only as I squeezed that I looked over to see who it'd been. Eric hissed beside me, tensing.

The man was my size, maybe a little smaller. Blue eyes, brown hair. He'd not bowed. "Who are you?" I asked, still holding him away at arms length by his throat.

I saw his next move coming. Instead of answering, he swung out with a fist, driving a stake right toward my heart. I snatched it away, growling as my fangs grew long, and shoved it into his chest.

Eric and Pam took out the next two, while I struggled to figure out what the hell was going on. Two minutes! Two minutes I'd been declared queen, and I'd already had three attempts on my life. What the hell?

Pam used her attacker's stake, much like I had, but Eric didn't. I watched in awe as he shoved his fist through a woman's chest, blood splattering on the both of us. He roared as he ripped his hand back out, a blob of blood and flesh in his palm. Both the body and the heart turned to dust.

Others tried but failed to make it past those in the crowd who'd sworn themselves to me. I stood in the center of it all, Pam and Eric on either side of me, watching as strangers put their lives in danger to protect mine. I made the vow, then and there, to always do the same for them.

The Ancient Pythoness caught my eye, as she reached the back of the room, and for a single moment, our minds were one. Seeing had not been her gift as a vampire. She'd bore the same curse as a human. Born with it, much like I'd been born with my telepathy. She'd also blinded herself, burning her eyes with a heated rod of steel.

Her voice whispered in my mind. "Sometimes the eyes play tricks on you. Do your ears not lie? When you can hear the truth with your mind?"

"Mother," I whispered.

Because that's who she was. She was not only older than every vampire who'd ever lived, she was their maker. The original vampire. A spell of longevity, a spell of healing, for a person at her age could have been a blessing. For her granddaughter, who'd been unable to walk, it promised a miracle. But black magic hadn't been her specialty and the spell had gone awry and made her what she was. Her granddaughter had been the second vampire, but she'd met the sun centuries ago.

"Everything comes with a price," she said inside my head.

Her price had been high, and in her mind I could see that she'd thought I'd already paid the price. It was at that moment that I realized I was reading her mind. I blinked at her and she smiled. She hadn't let me in; I'd been doing it all along, to everyone, and hadn't noticed.

With Eric, before I'd seen anyone else. Then with Pam. Likely when we'd entered the room, everyone else had heard silence. I'd heard thoughts. When my first attacker had struck, I'd known it because I heard it. Unlike when I'd been human, the voices, the thoughts in my mind weren't overwhelming. Instead, they ran through like water, like my own thoughts, only standing out when I chose to acknowledge them.

"Wait," I called, stepping down the steps.

Three vampires held a fourth, struggling. He'd been coming after me, and I wanted to know why. "My queen," one vampire said, bowing slightly.

I flinched. I'd have to work on that. "Please, call me Sookie," I said, trying to smile.

"Yes, Queen Sookie."

Sophie-Anne had been a horrible bitch. Even at the price of making myself vampire queen of Louisiana, I knew I'd kill her again. Some habits needed to be broken, and fast. But that was something for another time.

"What is your name?" I asked my would-be assassin, already knowing it was Gregor. He was seventy-four, and had sired three children. He took his time answering but gave me the truth. After his response, I asked the most important question, "And why is it you think I am unfit to be queen?"

It was important for many, not just for me, but for the entirety of the attending vampires, and for The Ancient Pythoness, whose name was simply Pythoness, or Pythia.

"You are too young. You're susceptible to influence and weak. Your maker stands there at your side, swearing fealty as if he cannot sway you with one command."

I knew then that it wouldn't do any good for me to tell him Eric couldn't do his maker commands on me. He would not believe that it didn't work. Not many of them would. There was only one problem with that.

"And yet you'd swear fealty to Eric, am I correct?"

"Sookie," I heard Eric warn.

"Answer the question, Gregor," I said, ignoring him, even as he stepped to my side.

Gregor's eyes flicked to Eric. "He would make a fine King." He nodded and agreed, his eyes coming hard back to mine, "I would swear my fealty to him, yes."

I stepped closer and placed my palm on his shoulder. "Then why would you have a problem with him influencing me, as you say?" Rather than wait for his answer, I addressed the rest of the crowd. "Does anyone else agree with Gregor? Do you see me unfit because I am young? Because I am without the knowledge of how our world works?"

Some heads nodded, but other's were silent agreements I could hear in the thoughts of those who'd already sworn oath to me. I could understand their worries. Hell, I had plenty of my own that mirrored most of theirs. However, I did not know what to do about them.

I held my arms out. "I am open to suggestions. There has to be something we can work out to make this acceptable for everyone. No one else should have to die for this." That's what was bothering me the most.

Sure, I'd killed already, but I didn't want to do it unnecessarily. I wasn't that kind of bloodthirsty.

"Perhaps," Pam said, turning my attention her way as she walked down the steps to join us. "Might I suggest something?"

There was a look in her eye. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on, but I knew she was up to more than I could catch in her thoughts. "Go ahead," I said, wary but eager. If she had an idea that would work, I was all for it.

"Presenting a united front, might put everyone's mind at ease," she said.

Eric stiffened at my side. I reached back and took his hand as he said. "Pam?"

I did a little warning of my own. "You know how he feels about that," I told her.

"It was only a suggestion," Pam said, rolling her eyes. "I think you'd find a union between the two of you would make everyone happy."

The way she said it, is what made me think there was more to it than that. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"A good match you would make," called The Ancient Pythoness.

_Well, thank you, Yoda._ Giving her laughter as she left the room, I was pretty sure she'd heard that thought. She was also leaving, which meant that whatever was decided, was up to us. She'd done her part.

"She means a marriage," Eric said. I spun to stare at him. "Not like a traditional human marriage, but a union all the same."

I read from his thoughts, from Pam's thoughts, what that entailed, and swallowed hard. "You would be king," I said, only to him.

He smiled my secret smile and replied, "There are worse fates."

I didn't have to read his mind to know his thoughts. Eric, despite not wanting to be King, would become one. He'd do it for me, and that made me cry. Sometimes people made sacrifices for those they cared for. For those they loved.

Clearing my throat, I dropped to one knee, smiling as I looked all the way up to meet Eric's surprised stare. I liked catching him off guard. I took one of his hands in both of mine and spoke loud and clear. "Eric Northman, will you marry me?"

The kiss as he swept me up into his arms was answer enough. The crowd cheered in chorus.

**A/N: Sigh. I kind of love that Sookie proposed to Eric. You don't read that often, and this was one of those moments in a story that I let the characters take me away to where they wanted to go. Thanks for reading.**

**The next update will be the last and final chapter in this story. Hopefully it won't take as long as ****this one did. **

**If you have the time, drop me a line. I love hearing what you all have to say. Thanks in advance!**

**KISSES!**


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